


A Warm and Pleasant Presence

by Antiloquist



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Ambiguous Genitalia on Reader, Counter Sex, First Dates, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, Grillby is a total gentleman, Human/Monster Romance, Multi, Oral Sex, Penetrative Sex, Pining, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Porn with Feelings, Post-Pacifist Route, Reader Is Not Frisk, Reader is somewhat insecure, Reader's gender is not specified, Reader-Insert, Voice Kink, definitely not a slow burn, mentions of dogs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-18
Updated: 2016-07-06
Packaged: 2018-06-09 07:53:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 27,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6896539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antiloquist/pseuds/Antiloquist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a bad day, you find yourself at a monster bar. You come for the drinks, but you stay for the bartender. Former oneshot, Grillby/Reader.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Spark

**Author's Note:**

  * For [distantsun](https://archiveofourown.org/users/distantsun/gifts).



> A friend of mine had a bad day, so I wrote her some fluff with our mutual fire boyfriend. Here you go, dear!~

It had probably been the worst day you've had in a while and _god damn_ you needed a drink something fierce. You threw your phone back into your pocket and barged into the first bar you saw. It wasn't until you had firmly seated yourself at the counter that you realized that you had barged into a _monster_ bar of all places. At least, you were pretty sure it was a monster bar, judging by the clientele. Sitting at one of the tables behind you was a group of large dogs, all playing poker. Over at one of the booths to your right was a bunny who was more than just a little tipsy. Sitting directly next to you was a large red bird. Yep, a monster bar; you wondered if they would serve you here.

You didn't have a problem with monsters, not in the slightest, but you knew that a lot of them were cautious of humans; rightfully so, for all the terrible things your fellow human beings had done since monsters breached the surface of Mount Ebott two years before. You had even ended a few friendships over others' less-than-kind reactions to the world-changing news.

Annoyance was still your primary emotion at the moment, but it was slightly giving way to nervousness; did they want a human in here? You hadn't seen any signs on the outside windows proclaiming the contrary, but you hadn't seen much in your rage-induced walk down to this part of town. You didn't even know exactly _where_ in town you were; all you had wanted to do was walk and calm down. You stared down at the countertop, wondering what to do.

Before you could contemplate whether or not you could make a silent exit out the front door, a small menu entered your field of vision. It was a drink list, and someone was handing it to you. You looked up at the person across the counter to see... a man made entirely out of fire. He was tall and well-dressed, crisp white shirt accented by his sharp black vest and neatly done bowtie. The flames on his head came to a point where his hair would have been were he human, and a pair of glasses adorned his face despite him having no visible ears or nose to speak of. Oranges and yellows swirled about his form with no set pattern at all. He... he was beautiful.

It took yourself a moment to realize you were staring; you immediately tore your eyes away from him and down to the menu. You stammered out your order, a shot of something strong, and placed your menu back on the countertop. He nodded and disappeared into the back.

Already, you could feel your irritation dissipating. There was something about this bar that was cozy. Most bars you had been to had been seedy, filled with sad drunks and creepy men trying to hit on obviously uninterested women. But this place was nice; you wondered if it had to do with the fact that it was monster-run and monster-patronized.

The door to the back opened and the flaming bartender returned with a bottle and a shot glass. He poured your drink with expert precision and handed you the glass. Despite his fiery form, the glass was cool to the touch. You wondered how he managed to not burn everything he touched; must be magic, you surmised. Magic was something you were sure didn't exist until everything that happened two years ago proved that idea to be incredibly wrong. Now, you would believe in just about anything.

“Thanks,” you said, and downed the shot in one gulp. The alcohol burned going down, but you already felt a little better. The bartender fixed you with a quizzical look, but you waved a hand, insisting you were fine.

“Hey, Grillby!” someone called, and the bartender set off in the direction of the caller, momentarily leaving you alone with your thoughts. That must have been his name, you surmised. A quick glance at the menu also revealed that it was the name of the bar as well; so he must have been the owner. A man made of fire handling massive amounts of alcohol... you smiled at the irony of that.

Grillby made his way back to the counter, and by association, you. You glanced back down at the menu and ordered an actual drink this time with the intention of consuming it slowly; there was no need to get roaring drunk and make an ass of yourself in this lovely place, after all. As you watched Grillby make it, you realized how smooth and precise is movements were. He was certainly skilled at his job.

You sipped on your drink as you watched him take care of tables. He moved so effortlessly, as if he were gliding. And as he passed you on his way to the kitchen, you swore you could hear the flames that made up his form crackling as he moved. Just watching him was mesmerizing; you felt as if you could lose all your troubles in his flickering light. It didn't hurt that he seemed to give off a pleasant warmth that seeped through the whole bar. It was no wonder this place was so cozy, you realized. The owner himself was the very definition of the word.

The sound of someone clearing their throat brought you back to the real world. You noticed that your drink was now empty and that you had been staring at the bartender for quite some time.

“I- ah, s-sorry,” you muttered, face growing red. “D-didn't mean to stare.” You pointedly looked anywhere but him. Your attention was brought back to the countertop, though, as you heard the telltale clink of someone placing a glass down in front of you. You looked over, confused; you hadn't ordered any more drinks. However, you noticed that Grillby had instead placed a glass of water in front of you.

You gave him a small smile and took a sip. It was probably what you needed, considering you had downed a significant amount of alcohol in only a few minutes' time; you knew your stuff, and you already could tell that this man did not cheap out on his drinks like some bars did. You decided you liked Grillby; he was a man of few words (no words at all, to be precise), but he was polite and patient. Even though he said nothing, you could tell by the way he held himself that he was listening intently to everything his customers said. You considered talking about your day to him, but decided he didn't need to be bogged down by that. Honestly, just being here had made you feel better; this was a place you wouldn't mind returning to, that was for sure.

Draining the last of your water, you placed the glass on the counter and gave a contented sigh. You were probably a little less than sober, but nowhere near being blackout drunk. But this was enough for you tonight, you thought. Work came early the next morning, and it wouldn't do to come in with a hangover.

As Grillby handed you your check, though, you realized that you had been staring at him once again. He tilted his head at you in confusion. Damn, that was really cute...

“I-I uh...” you said intelligently as you fished your card out of your wallet. “I'm sorry, you're just so... uh. Relaxing to look at. I-I've had a bad day and, uh...” You thunked your head down on the counter. “I'm so sorry. I'm tipsy and being really rude. Please ignore me.”

You heard a crackling noise and raised your head up to look at the man in front of you. He had his hand in front of where his mouth should have been, and... was he chuckling? Was that noise a laugh? It sounded... so nice. You wanted to hear it again. Well, whatever it was, it seemed like he wasn't angry at you. You hurriedly paid your bill (surprisingly reasonable given the alcohol content of your drinks) and left him a generous tip.

Before you could make even more of an idiot of yourself, you bundled yourself up in your coat, grabbed your things and hurried out the front door. Yes, this was definitely a place you'd be returning to soon... that is, if you could trust yourself not to act ridiculous in front of this lovely man of fire.

~

As the weeks went by, you found yourself falling into a routine. After work, you would slip into Grillby's every now and then for a quick drink. It wasn't every day that you went, but enough that the man himself began to expect you.

The monsters in the bar began to greet you by name every time you entered, and you felt at home in this cozy place. You would order the same thing, and drink slowly as you watched Grillby make his rounds throughout the restaurant. Bad moods didn't last long on you at Grillby's; if the cheerful patrons didn't put you in better spirits, then watching the rather alluring bartender certainly did.

You would be lying if you said that thoughts of Grillby didn't occasionally come to you during the rest of the day; he was incredibly handsome in his properness, the quiet yet confident way he held himself. Honestly, it was hard _not_ to find yourself drawn to his silent kindness. But you had no intention of ever letting him know that; to him, you were just someone he saw a few times a week.

This time, when you came in, your day had been going especially poorly. It had been clear outside, but freezing, and your coworkers had been especially insufferable today. To top it all off, you had left your coat at work and you were now way too far away to go back for it.

You took your usual seat at the counter and rubbed your hands together, trying to find warmth. Grillby stepped into your field of view.

“Hey there, Grillby,” you greeted, teeth chattering. “Just g-gimme a moment to warm up and I'll order. Sorry.”

Grillby stood there for a moment before offering a hand to you. You stared at him, confused, before you realized what he meant. You had been getting better as time went by at interpreting his gestures, since he didn't seem to be a fan of speaking.

You nervously placed your freezing hands in his pleasantly warm ones. From the scant few times that your skin had accidentally brushed against his, leaving you a blushing mess, you knew he was warm to the touch, but not burning like you'd expect a man made entirely out of fire to be.

As he clasped his hands around yours, you felt your body warm up instantly. How much of that was due to Grillby's fire magic and how much of that was due to your proximity to the flaming bartender, though, you didn't know. You just hoped you could pass off your flushed face as being because of the cold outside.

When you felt sufficiently back to normal, you pulled your hands back gently and looked over the menu. Grillby stood in front of you as he always did, patient and undemanding.

“U-uh,” you stammered, willing your _damn face_ to go back to normal before he figured out something was up. “I actually don't think I want any alcohol tonight. Um... I think I want a hot apple cider. It's cold outside.” You glanced back toward the door as if to emphasize your point. Maybe you were just trying to avoid looking at Grillby.

When you did turn back to him, you saw him nod and pull some bottles out from under the bar. He mixed some apple juice in with some cinnamon before adding a few more spices. He mixed it all together and placed it in front of you. You reached for it before he held out a hand to stop you. Confused, you raised an eyebrow at him. He placed both hands on the mug and soon, you could see steam rising fom it. Fire magic! Then, he topped it off with a spray of whipped cream and set it down near you.

“Whoa...” you said, letting him place the mug in front of you. It smelled heavenly, and you couldn't wait to taste it. However, you knew it was probably too hot to immediately drink, so you let it sit. “T-That was really cool.” You realized what you had just said. “W-well, not _cool_. I guess it's more... uh, hot? N-not that I'm calling you hot! Well, I mean, y-you _are_ attractive, b-but-” You shut up before you could dig your hole any deeper and instead decided to hide your burning face in your arms. “Sorry. Today was awful and I'm just rambling.”

You heard that distinctive crackle and felt a gentle hand on your shoulder. You looked up to see Grillby looking down at you with what could be a smile, though it was hard to see his features under all that flame. His flames seemed a little higher, and if you weren't mistaken, you could see that there were little dustings of blue around his cheeks. If him being confused was cute, then this was _breathtaking_.

Forcing yourself to tear your eyes away from him, you took a sip of the cider. It was just as good as it smelled, and you gave a contented sigh. “You're pretty good at this, you know. I don't even remember what I was so mad about... W-Well, I do, but... it all seems so silly now, you know?” you said, smiling warmly at the man of fire.

Grillby nodded, and content that you were doing better, set off to take care of other patrons. The cider seemed to warm your very soul, and now that your annoyance at the day was ebbing away, you could now feel how tired you really were. The day had gone on for so long, and it had been so many hours since you last got to rest...

As you drained the last of your cider, you felt your eyelids growing heavy. Surely, Grillby wouldn't mind if you just rested your head for a minute?... You put your head on the countertop and let the quiet droning of the customers be your white noise.

Before you knew it, that warm hand was on your shoulder again. “Nnn?” you vocalized, opening your eyes. You were met with the sight of a dim and mostly empty bar. Grillby stood above you, concerned look evident on his fiery features. Upon realizing you had probably fallen asleep, you shot up instantly. You took out your phone and checked the time to find that it was midnight. Closing time on a weekday. You really _did_ fall asleep... for about three hours. Why didn't Grillby wake you up sooner?

“Oh my gosh, I-I am so sorry!” you exclaimed. “I totally didn't mean to fall asleep!” Your face was burning from embarrassment, and you scrambled up from your seat at the countertop, ignoring the protests from your tired limbs. You looked around and realized it was just you two, alone in his bar. Your heart pounded in your ears at the thought.

You took a twenty out of your pocket and put it on the counter. “K-keep the change...” you muttered, quickly turning for the door. There was no way you could come back here for a long time, at least not until the embarrassment wore off.

Before you even got halfway to the door, though, you heard something you had never heard before, and it made you stop in your tracks.

“Wait,” a smooth, even voice called. You halted mid-step and turned around. Had that been _Grillby_ talking? You had never heard him speak before.

“H-Huh?” you asked.

Grillby took a step forward, now out from behind the counter. “It's late.”

Yep, that had been him speaking. And _damn_ , he had a nice voice. It was low but not gravely, and had the slightest hint of an accent that you couldn't quite place. There was an airy, polite quality to it, even. He had the perfect archetypal 'gentleman' voice. You blushed a little bit; now that you had finally heard him, you never wanted him to _stop_ talking.

“O-oh, I guess it _is_ kinda late, huh? Guess I was more tired than I thought. Sorry if I kept you,” you said nervously, once again turning for the door.

“You don't have a coat,” Grillby replied, short and to the point without sounding rude.

You waved a hand at him. “Oh, I-I'll be fine, Grillby. I only live a few blocks away from here and it's not _that_ cold...” You could hear the wind blowing even from in here; it was _very_ cold outside.

“If you wait a moment, I could walk you home,” Grillby offered.

Your stomach began twisting in a not-completely-unpleasant way. He was so _polite_... And he didn't even seem to mind that you had been here all through closing. You didn't want to impose on him, but since he had offered...

“O-Okay...” you stammered, sure your face probably matched his in terms of heat by now. “I-If you're okay with it...”

“I'd rather you get home safe,” he said, putting some bottles on the back shelf as he spoke. “I don't want anything bad to happen to one of my favorite regulars.”

Your heart leapt at his words. You had only been coming here a few months, but somehow you were already a favorite in his mind? It seemed too good to be true. Part of you wondered if you were still asleep and dreaming this.

Grillby finished cleaning for the night at an alarmingly fast rate. Before you knew it, he was shrugging on a coat and heading for the door himself. As he passed you, you let your eyes trail over his form; the coat fit him quite nicely, and the style was perfect for him. It made him look even more elegant than he already did. He noticed you gaping and turned to you, slightly confused.

“U-Uh, sorry. Must still be tired,” you said, rubbing the back of your neck in embarrassment. “Can't see straight. Yeah.” You fidgeted nervously with your hands. Grillby seemed amused at that, actual chuckle mixing into the telltale crackle he gave off. Oh man, if just the crackle had sounded nice to you, then...

He opened the door and held it open for you. The cold air hit you as you exited the bar, providing a harsh contrast to the heated quality of your face. Damn, you wished you had remembered your coat. You tried to hide your chilliness as Grillby locked the front door behind him and waited for you to indicate which way to go.

“This way,” you said, pointing down the block. As you went to take a step, the wind gusted. You shuddered and hoped Grillby didn't notice.

Of course, he did. “You're shivering,” he noted softly. You swore quietly under your breath.

“I'm okay,” you insisted. “It's just a f-few blocks from here.” You were unable to stop your teeth from beginning to chatter.

Grillby undid the buttons on his coat and quickly slipped it around your shoulders. “Here,” he said. “You need it more than I do.” He was taller than you, so the coat was a bit big on your smaller frame. But it was also warm, really warm; unsurprising, considering the man who wore it as quite literally made of fire.

“Oh! Uh... Y-You don't have to do that for me...” you said, though the action of pulling the coat tighter around your shoulders betrayed just how relieved you felt having a source of warmth.

“I insist,” Grillby replied, nodding for emphasis.

You frowned. “Uh, but aren't you cold?” you asked.

Grillby chuckled. “No,” he said in amusement, gesturing to himself. That was right... fire. The coat was probably just for looks (and it did that _very_ well, you thought).

And so you two started down the quiet sidewalk. No one else was out at this time of night on a weekday. You found yourself unconsciously straying closer to the ambient warmth he gave off. The wind blew around you, and you couldn't help but feel mesmerized by how it played with Grillby's flames. With each gust of wind, the point at the top of his head seemed to dance hypnotically. You wondered if high winds posed any danger to him; he didn't seem uneasy, so you figured he was fine.

As if he could sense your eyes on him, Grillby turned his head to look at you. You snapped your head forward quickly, hoping he hadn't noticed. He probably did, but he didn't say anything.

“Why didn't you wake me up earlier?” you asked after a moment or two of stifling silence.

“... You were tired,” Grillby answered matter-of-factly. “You needed to rest.”

You felt your face heating up again; at least _that_ wasn't going to be a problem in this temperature. “Thanks... I know I wouldn't have gone to bed right when I got home... I've got too much to do...” You sighed. The stress was beginning to come back, working its way into your stomach and sitting there like an incredibly unwelcome stone.

Grillby paused a moment. “... Are you alright?” he finally asked, concern evident in his smoky voice.

“I... I guess I am. It's nothing that I can't handle,” you muttered. “It's just that I feel like everything is pressing down on me at once, you know? Work, life... everything.”

“I know the feeling.”

You sighed. “Sorry to bother you with my silly problems,” you said, feeling a little embarrassed for spilling your worries to someone who had never even spoken to you before tonight. But there was just... something about Grillby, something that made you feel like all the dumb stuff mattered a little less while you were around him.

Grillby tilted his head at you. “They're not silly. What troubles you is what troubles you. Your frustration is entirely valid. Life is the most difficult thing any of us will ever have to face.” He placed a gentle hand on your shoulder, and you could feel his heat seeping through the thick fabric of the coat.

“... Thanks,” you said honestly, at a loss for anything else to say. You looked up at Grillby and smiled sweetly at him. A small dusting of blue appeared in his face near his cheeks. You pulled the coat tighter across your frame, and noticed that it smelled faintly of charcoal. A fitting, pleasant scent for a man of fire, you thought.

You continued in silence for another moment, before Grillby himself was the one to break it this time. “You... you come to my bar often, I've noticed,” he said. Was he... nervous? Nah, probably not; just trying to make conversation.

“Yeah,” you replied in all your elegance. “I uh... I really like it there. It's got a nice atmosphere.”

“That's nice to hear,” Grillby said. “Especially from a human.” His tone of voice said all you needed to know about that situation. You knew that there were people that didn't want monsters to be able to run their own businesses (or really have any rights at all). Honestly, you thought those people were jerks; monsters were just trying to make their way in life all the same as people. Who cared if they looked a little different?

You cleared your throat, unsure of how to continue. “I-I look forward to coming there after work when I can. It's nice to be able to unwind in such a cozy place, especially after an awful day like today, and it's nice to be able to see you, and-” you realized what you had said and your eyes widened. “I-I mean, you just give off this warm and relaxing aura, and it makes me want to be around you, and-” Okay, you were just making it worse now. You clapped a hand over your mouth, feeling your cheeks heat up significantly under your hand. “S-sorry!” Oh, you had done it now. You had probably weirded him out to the extreme. Yeah... after tonight you probably wouldn't drop by for a couple of weeks... He probably thought you were some kind of weirdo.

But you your pleasant surprise, Grillby only chuckled in response to your stammering. “You don't have to be so nervous,” he said. “I find the praise... flattering.” The flames around his face were a brighter blue now, and you felt your stomach knotting again in that strange but pleasant way.

“You should!” you exclaimed before you could stop yourself. “You're beautiful.” Well, there was no going back now.

That seemed to catch Grillby off guard. He stopped in his tracks, whole face now nearing a shade of blue that fit him quite nicely. “Th-thank you,” he stuttered, slowly returning to his normal oranges and yellows as you two began to walk once more.

“Heh...” you said. “Don't mention it.” Really, you hoped he'd never mention it again so you could just pretend this whole thing never happened.

Finally, after what felt like way too long, (or at least, just long enough for you to completely embarrass yourself) you arrived at the entrance to your apartment building. Behind the door was rest and warmth, but you didn't want to leave Grillby. You also definitely didn't want to invite him inside, as you were sure you wouldn't be able to stop yourself from closing the pitifully small distance between your faces if you did (as well as... doing other things).

“Uh...” you said intelligently. “This is it. Thanks for walking me back.”

“It was my pleasure,” he said smoothly, and your face reddened at that last word. You internally shook your head clear of all... unsavory thoughts that phrase brought up.

You nodded, not trusting your mouth not to say anything incriminating at this point. You turned to unlock the front door when a warm hand gripped your wrist oh so gently. Surprised, you turned back to Grillby, only to have him envelop you in a gentle hug.

Gasping in surprise, you wound your arms around his back, eagerly returning the spontaneous gesture. He was pleasant to hug, as if you were covered by an electric blanket. You could hear the faintest crackling as the flames that made him up shifted and moved. Here, you felt safe, like nothing could ever harm you. You never wanted to let him go. “U-Uh...”

“I am sorry today didn't go well for you,” he whispered right in your ear, and you felt a pleasant shiver go down your spine. “But tomorrow will be better, I'm sure.”

“Y-yeah, t-thanks,” was all you could say, and a part of you wondered if he was aware of the effect he had on you. You could see the ghost of a smirk on his fiery face as he pulled away and you concluded that yes, he was very aware.

It was now or never. Without thinking, you stepped forward and gave him a light kiss where you figured his cheek would be. That seemed to make him pause. You noticed that his face was surprisingly solid behind all that fire. 

“G-Good night!” you exclaimed, turning around and unlocking the door.

“... Rest well,” you heard him say quietly behind you.

You slipped inside and started for the stairwell (no _way_ were you going to wait for the elevator with him watching; too awkward) before you could say anything else to him.

It didn't dawn on you until halfway up to your floor that you still had his coat around your shoulders.

 


	2. An Ember

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I decided to add to this, thanks to the lovely encouragement you all gave me. You're all wonderful!~

You never really talked about that night with Grillby after that. The next day, you had sheepishly walked into the bar and handed him his coat back. He thanked you quietly, and you tried not to let the blush on your face show as he leaned close enough for you to hear his voice.

The weeks turned into months, and winter melted into something more temperate. Still, you went to Grillby's; at least three times a week, the fire man had learned to expect you. And ever since your little moment outside your apartment building, you had been a lot more open around him. It wasn't unusual for you to ramble on about your day while he wiped drink glasses clean at the counter.

He never really spoke when others were around; you figured he might be selectively mute. If that was the case, then you were flattered that you were one of the people he chose to speak to. Especially so, considering how damn nice his voice sounded. You longed for another moment where he would whisper something in your ear like he had done that night. You'd never tell him that, though; he'd probably be creeped out.

This night was one you weren't staying late. Sometimes, you would wind up ordering something non-alcoholic and stay until closing, much like you had that one night. You, er, usually didn't nap, though; generally you made small talk with the regulars. But one constant was that Grillby insisted on walking you home every night you stayed late. You didn't know _why_ he did, but you weren't complaining either. Honestly, you were sort of touched that he cared. Plus, any moment you got to spend by his side was a good moment for you.

Okay, so _maybe_ you had a little bit of a thing for the fire elemental, but you'd never admit it, not to him. You had no idea how he'd react, but you figured it'd probably be negative. Honestly, you couldn't fathom someone as lovely, shining, beautiful as him taking an interest in someone like... well, you.

Tonight was decently crowded. Most of the regulars were there, sans (heh) that one short skeleton who came in from time to time, ordered but never ate, and drank obscene amounts of ketchup. He was alright; you found his puns a little grating in excess, though.

Grillby was darting back and forth from table to table. His customers were pretty polite, but that didn't help the fact that there were a lot of them. As a result, his attention was divided. He didn't see that one of the dogs had their tail stretched out across the floor. And so, though he usually held the grace of a figure skater, Grillby stumbled. He didn't drop anything, thankfully, but it was a close call.

When he returned to his usual spot behind the counter, his glasses were askew.

“Grillby,” you had said quietly.

“Hm?” he vocalized, turning his previously unseen gaze to you. His eyes were a blazing white behind the oranges and yellows that usually made up his face. You, of course, knew he had eyes; you had seen glimpses of them every now and then behind his glasses. But this was your first clear look at them. You felt as if your entire soul was laid bare under his gaze.

You froze for a moment. “U-uh...” you stammered. “Y-your glasses.” You reached your hand out hesitantly, only to let it hang awkwardly there, halfway between you and him. Would it be too forward to just adjust them out of the blue like that? From this distance, you could feel the ambient heat he gave off.

He blinked, confused, before he realized what you meant. He quickly put the frames back into position on his face, dustings of blue working their way into his usual colors. Nodding, he went back to his business. But he kept himself turned mostly away from you, as if he were ashamed. Did he feel insecure about his eyes? Was that why he always wore glasses?

You hesitated for a moment, before swallowing your courage and deciding to go through with it.

“They're pretty,” you finally said, just loud enough for him to hear. “Your eyes, I mean.” It was one of those nights where the counter itself was less crowded than the tables, and the rest of the patrons were far enough away that you two could hold a quiet conversation without being overheard.

He stiffened, ever so slightly, and turned to you, raising the fiery equivalent of an eyebrow at you.

“I-I mean it,” you added, slightly more confident this time. “They're perfect for you.”

The blue got stronger on his form, and you could see the flames at the top of his head begin flickering a little faster. He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

“U-uh, sorry, if that was a little, uh, bold of me to say. I hope I didn't offend you,” you muttered, looking down at your drink. Wow, where had most of it gone?

Grillby shook his head with a good-natured crackle. Well, at least you hadn't gone too far yet. Still, you paid and left soon after that; not trusting yourself to not say anything else dumb.

~

If finding out he had eyes had been a major thing for you, then the time you found out he had a _mouth_ was truly a game changer.

This time it was one of your later nights. You nursed a hot chocolate as Grillby flitted about the bar, taking care of customers. It was a while before he got back to the counter, but you waited contently. You enjoyed these evenings, where you could talk about whatever and he would listen patiently. He never interrupted you or acted bored... when you were with Grillby, you felt appreciated, though he seldom said a word.

About an hour before closing, you reached down the counter for a napkin, but accidentally knocked over a pepper shaker, spilling its contents everywhere. A cloud of it made it's way up to Grillby, who... sneezed.

Well, you supposed it was a sneeze. What actually happened was a burst of fire came out from his face, going about a foot or two to the right of you. You yelped and nearly fell off your stool, but managed to keep your balance. When you stabilized yourself, you glanced over at Grillby, and what you saw made you stop for a moment.

He had a mouth. An actual mouth. At the bottom of his face, there was a jagged opening, which presumably was where the fire had come from. It was fascinating, and now that you knew he had a mouth, you couldn't help but wonder if he had lips too...

Wow. Whoa. It was time for that train of thought to go back to the station. Still though, you kept gaping at him. He noticed you looking at him and he quickly put a hand in front of his now re-hidden mouth and glanced away, slight swirls of blue making their way into his face. When he regained his composure, he looked back at you, concern evident on his now featureless face.

You smiled at him. “I'm alright, Grillby. Don't worry.” He nodded, seemingly content with your answer.

However, you refused to let him clean up the pepper; it was your mess, you insisted, and you would be the one to clean it up. You didn't want to be _that_ customer, especially not here. He relented and let you take care of it, though he was ultimately the one that disposed of the mess when you were finished cleaning.

For the rest of the night, he seemed to avoid you. You worried that you had offended him somehow; the thought that you might have lingered in your stomach and made you slightly nauseated. He was one of the nicest people you had ever met; you didn't want to make him upset!

He still let you stay until closing, so that was a good sign, at least. The anxiety gnawed at the pit of your stomach as he locked up, and you tried not to let it show on your face. Grillby didn't say a word as he held the door open for you. Eventually, one of you would have to talk about it... whatever _it_ was.

Evidently, it would be Grillby, though it took him until you were about halfway back to your apartment for him to do it.

“I... I'm sorry,” he said softly as you two made your way down the quiet sidewalk.

You stopped short. “What?” you asked, genuinely confused. You had thought you would be the one apologizing.

“For scaring you,” he finally said.

“Oh, the fire?” You waved a hand. “That was no big deal. You're, uh, kind of _made_ of fire, so it's a given that you'd probably sneeze it... And, uh, besides, that was pretty cool...”

Grillby sighed. “That's not all. I noticed the way you were... looking at me.”

“W-what?” you stammered. “What do you mean by that?” Had he figured it out? It wasn't like you were hiding the fact that you liked him, but you weren't exactly trying to be overt. Oh geez. This was it. This was where he was going to turn you down. If you were especially unlucky, he would probably ask you not to come back to his bar. The anxiety that had previously been gently gnawing at you was now full-out thrashing. Your mind was running at a breakneck pace at this point. How would you best save face? Would you just walk away when he was done, and do your best not to let the disappointment show?

“There is... a reason I keep my mouth hidden most of the time,” he continued, putting a hand up to the part of his face in question. “I am sorry I frightened you with it.”

You audibly breathed a sigh of relief. So that was what he had meant; you were safe for now. “Your mouth?” you asked. “N-no, I wasn't scared; I was... fascinated.”

“Fascinated?” Grillby was confused.

You nodded. “Y-yeah. It's nothing like I've ever seen before. I... I uh, like it,” you admitted, face growing red once more. In this season, you couldn't even blame that on the cold, either.

“You do?” he said, surprised. Hesitantly, Grillby brought his hand away from his face. You bit back a gasp as the jagged line you had seen earlier made its way across his face once more. This time, he was smiling. Your stomach did a nervous little flutter; he was breathtaking like this.

“ _Amazing_ ,” you gasped. You were staring openly now, and you didn't care. Without realizing, you had reached a hand out towards him. About halfway to his face, you paused. Were you being weird? Probably; but he hadn't stopped you yet.

You couldn't screw up the courage to touch his face, however, and you let your hand drop. He didn't seem too fazed by it. For a moment, you two just stood there, looking at one another. The thought to close the gap between your faces echoed in the back of your mind, but before you could do anything about it, you heard the sound of a car whizzing by.

Tires screeched loudly as the car in question made a hard turn and went down another street, and the noise made you jump a little. Probably a drunk driver, you thought. But the moment had passed and the spell was broken. You coughed awkwardly. “ _So_ ,” you said, turning back towards your destination. “How has your day been?” You purposefully changed the subject. If you stopped, even for a second, you knew you'd just be tempted to try and kiss him again and you had a feeling it wouldn't end well.

You listened to him speak about the day with that velvety voice of his, and you relaxed. Things were fine; you hadn't screwed up, not yet. And if it meant being able to spend more time in the presence of this incredibly kind and patient man, then you were determined not to.

Before you knew it, you had reached your apartment building. You smiled up at Grillby.

“Thanks for walking me back,” you said. “Like always. You know you don't have to, right?” You rubbed the back of your neck in embarrassment.

“I know,” Grillby replied. “But I want to.” He took your hand in his and softly brought it to his mouth. The question of whether or not he had lips was answered swiftly as he kissed your hand lightly. Your heart thrummed in your ears; had he... had he really just done that? He was like a gentlemen out of one of those old movies or something. On anyone else it would have seemed corny and insincere, but on him, it was... perfect.

For a moment, you just stood there, completely shocked; you could feel your ears burning. “I-I, uh, I...” you stammered. He smiled ever so slightly, as if he were content with the effect he had on you. You turned on your heel. “Good night!” you exclaimed, unlocking the door and zipping up the stairwell with almost inhuman speed.

As you slept that night, you dreamt of soft lips and gentle, caressing flames.

~

It took you a good week to screw up the courage to go back to Grillby's after that. It wasn't that you thought you weren't welcome; it was just that every time you thought of the bar's namesake, your mind went back to that gentle kiss he had placed on your hand and you became a flustered mess. He truly was a gentleman: kind, polite, gentle, sincere, and oh so dapper to match. You were pretty sure you had it decently bad at this point, and you really didn't want him to know.

Still, you knew you couldn't stay away forever, and after an early weekday shift at work, you found yourself lingering outside the familiar restaurant. Would he even mention what had happened? He hadn't mentioned that time he had hugged you, (the scent of charcoal still lingered at the back of your mind, and you longed to feel him against you once more) so you figured he wouldn't mention this either.

You took a deep breath and opened the door. Maybe if you were quiet enough, you could take your regular seat without Grillby noticing right away-

All the regulars shouted your name as you walked in.

So much for that plan.

Grillby glanced up at you, and your eyes met. Your breath caught in your throat. You raised your hand and gave a nervous little wave, which Grillby returned. Taking your usual seat at the bar, you chided yourself for being so nervous. It was just Grillby, after all. He wouldn't bite. Though, maybe if you asked him to...

No. Wow. It was _way_ too early in the night to be thinking those kinds of things.

“You've been away,” Grillby said quietly, startling you. Man, you had missed that voice of his in the week you'd been gone.

“I, uh, work. Busy. Yeah,” you said eloquently, looking down at the menu though you knew its contents well by now. What you wouldn't give to have that voice right in your ear...

Grillby rewarded your statement with a smoky laugh. He didn't usually talk when other patrons were in the bar. But the place was lightly packed enough so that you were probably the only one within earshot currently, so you figured he was at ease enough to let a few words slip here and there.

“I was beginning to worry that I had frightened you off,” Grillby remarked, frown evident in his voice though he kept his mouth hidden.

“You? No, you could never...” you trailed off, looking for the words. “I was worried I'd weirded _you_ out.”

Crackling, Grillby shook his head. It looked like you'd gotten all the words you'd get out of him that night. That was okay; just hearing his voice to begin with was wonderful in your eyes.

How long had it been since you had first stormed in there that autumn evening? A while, at least; long enough that it was getting warm once more. Tonight was unseasonably muggy, and you shrugged off your light jacket as sipped your drink.

It even looked like Grillby was feeling the heat tonight. Could fire elementals even _get_ overheated? You wanted to ask him but decided that might be rude, so you didn't. Instead, you distracted yourself with some reading while you sipped your usual concoction, and you let an hour pass by in comfortable silence.

Around ten in the evening, you finally looked up at Grillby and stopped short.

You saw that Grillby had rolled the sleeves of his dress shirt up past his elbows and you... just stared. The occasional flame or two licked up off of his forearms, but they seemed to be just as harmless as the rest of him. Whatever magic made up his form swirled just as much here as it did around his face. But it also looked like, oddly enough, he had some muscle definition as well. You wondered how that worked. Dazedly, you watched the muscles in his forearms contract and relax as he wiped glasses clean for future patrons to use. He looked pretty damn strong, if you were being honest. You wondered how easy it would be for him to pick you up and-

The sound of someone clearing their throat brought you back to reality. In the midst of your staring, you had somehow missed the fact that Grillby had moved in front of you and was fixing you with a confused look.

“O-oh!” you exclaimed, snapping your eyes back to his face. At this angle, you could see the bright whites of his eyes behind his glasses. You felt the heat rising to your face, as was common whenever you were around him. “H-hi...”

Grillby crackled and raised a hand to you in greeting, just as you had done to him earlier that evening. He then tilted his head at you, his customary non-verbal motion that he was confused.

You ran a hand through your hair nervously. “Heh... Sorry, I just... I've never seen you roll up your sleeves before.”

He lifted up one of his arms, which has previously been resting on the counter, (you only now just noticed how close he was to you and _wow that was way too close_ ) looked at it, and then looked at you.

“Wow, that probably sounded really dumb,” you said. Grillby shook his head. You sighed in relief and continued after a brief moment of hesitation. “It's just... it looks like you actually have... muscles? How does that work?” You stared at him for a moment before you tore your eyes away. “Ugh, wow, I'm sorry. I keep asking all these weird questions and I probably sound really invasive and rude...”

To your surprise, he held his arm out to you. You just looked at it for a moment before looking up at him. Was he letting you have a closer look? You looked up at his face and he nodded ever so slightly at you.

Hesitantly, you curled your hand around the offered forearm. Oh man, if his hands had been warm, then this was something else entirely. He wasn't unpleasant to the touch, but nice and warming, like the glass case at a grocery store deli. The 'skin' under his flames was smooth and warm but definitely solid, and you swore you could almost feel something pulsing under his wrist. Magic, maybe? You didn't know. But it felt nice. He curled his hand into a half-fist and you gasped as you could feel defined muscles shifting under the skin. Strong indeed. You wondered what it felt like to be wrapped up in an embrace with him, something stronger than that gentle hug he had given you on that winter night...

You glanced up at him and noticed he was looking at you as well. Swirls of blue had made their way into his face, and you really wanted to know what he was thinking about right now. Slowly, you brought your other hand up and moved it towards his face and-

Your phone rang.

Swearing, you yanked the cursed device out of your pocket and glanced at the caller ID. Work... there was no feasible way you could ignore this call. You sighed; another moment ruined by circumstance.

“Sorry, gotta take this,” you said, and you slipped outside before Grillby could respond.

Turned out they needed you in early tomorrow, so you figured there was no way you could justify staying late tonight, no matter how much you wanted to. You had a feeling if you told Grillby you had to be up early, he'd send you straight home so you could sleep. He was always looking out for you in those small yet significant ways... You loved that about him; it seemed his capacity to care was endless.

Sadly, you bid your dear fiery friend goodbye, paid your bill, and trudged home to face tomorrow. You had a feeling you were going to have a bad time.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here's some more self-indulgent garbage. Sexy times in the next chapter, so look forward to that.


	3. An Inferno (NSFW)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here comes the smut! Now, keep in mind that this is my first time ever writing a detailed sex scene, so please be nice! (tbh this is like 90% foreplay 10% actual sex)

Well, you had been right about the bad time. Not only had it been unseasonably hot _all day_ , but the sheer length of time you had to work combined with your already bad mood and the just-as-sour moods of your coworkers made the day hell.

Honestly, part of you just wanted to go home and collapse down on your bed and sleep your troubles away until tomorrow. But you also wanted to see Grillby; when you were in a bad mood, nothing made you calm down faster than spending time with him. You wondered if he was aware of this; he always seemed extra attentive to you when you were feeling down. Maybe it was the bartender in him; you swore they were all part-therapist.

Your mind was made up before you even took two steps out of work. Grillby's it was... as if you had any intention of going anywhere else.

Just stepping into the place was enough to make your bad mood start to lighten. Not all the way, but it was something. Grillby was in the back when you entered, but you saw him poke his flickering head through the door to the kitchen as all the regulars announced your arrival. He seemed... almost happy that you were here. You shook the possibility away; he was probably just glad for more business.

You gave Grillby a small smile as you sat down at the counter. He tilted his head at you; apparently it was obvious you had a bad day.

“Hey there, Grillby,” you said, propping your elbows up on the countertop. “That obvious I had a day from hell?”

Grillby nodded, and patted you on the shoulder gently.

You snorted. “Psh, bartenders. I swear, they're all psychic.” Normally you weren't this composed around Grillby; usually something he said or did left you a flustered mess. But tonight you just wanted to soak up his presence and relax. You ordered something warm, despite the weather outside. But no alcohol tonight; you had another long day tomorrow and a hangover would get you nowhere. Still, you wouldn't mind staying past closing just to walk home with him...

Grillby returned with your drink and propped his own elbows up on the other side of the counter. You idly noticed that his sleeves were rolled up again. “... Do you want to talk about it?” he asked quietly.

You glanced around; guess there weren't enough people nearby to justify him staying quiet, you surmised. Nodding, you took a sip of your drink with a heavy sigh. “Yeah.” And so you launched into a rant about how much you hated your job at times. Sure, it paid decently enough, but sometimes you thought your coworkers were the most insufferable people on earth. And the _weather_ the city had been experiencing lately...

By the time you were done with your rant, you felt significantly better. Your audience of one had spent the time listening patiently (when he didn't have to help customers, that was).

“... And that's why I'm in such a bad mood today,” you finished, some time later, smiling nervously up at Grillby. Grillby nodded and patted you on the shoulder once more. You could feel the heat of his hand seeping through your work shirt, and your heart fluttered a little. Ah, there was the nervousness. You supposed it was only a matter of time before it came back. “Anyway, thanks for listening. You're always really nice to me.”

Grillby gave a little shrug, and you had a feeling he meant it was no big deal to be so nice.

“No, I mean it. Coming here is usually the highlight of my day... Uh... no pun intended,” you muttered, blushing a bit. Grillby crackled at that, and gave him another nervous smile. You were glad that that skeleton apparently had other business to attend to that night; he would have  _never_ let you hear the end of that one.

“Night, Grillbz!” someone yelled, and you turned around to see one of the dogs (the one that was always... smoking dog treats; how the hell did that even work, anyway?) exiting along with his friends.

You glanced around the bar. Empty, except for you and Grillby; was it really that late already? You glanced at your phone to confirm that _yes_ , it _was_ that late already.

“Heh, whoops,” you said, running a hand through your hair nervously. “Guess I lost track of time while I was ranting.”

“That's not a problem. If I didn't want you here, I would say so,” Grillby responded, grabbing a clean rag and starting to wipe down tables.

You had offered to help him clean up numerous times before, and he had always refused. At first, you were slightly offended, but then you realized that that was just how he was. And so you always watched as he straightened up the bar at a relatively fast pace. Not that you minded; you loved the fluid grace with which he moved.

At some point while he was straightening bottles, he turned around to notice you watching him. He raised the equivalent of an eyebrow at you as you glanced away quickly, blushing.

When he was finished, however, he returned to behind the counter rather than making for the door.

“Was there anything else I could get you before we headed out?” he asked. Your brain stuttered slightly on the 'we' part.

“I... uh... aren't you closed, anyway?” you asked in return. Smooth, real smooth; you kicked yourself internally.

Grillby chuckled. “Not for you,” he said playfully, leaning on his elbow and letting his mouth show just slightly.

You hadn't thought it was possible to get as flustered as you were now. Was he flirting? Probably not, but you were pretty sure your entire face was tomato red by now. “I... uh... I... uh...” you stammered. “I... forgot to pay you! For the other drink! I'm sorry! Let me do that!”

“On the house. You had a bad day,” Grillby said smoothly. Were you dreaming? This was the only possible explanation. “Anyway, just let me finish straightening up back here and we can go.” You nodded numbly. As he finished making sure everything was in order, he stretched his arms above his head with a gentle groan. “You're not the only one who's had a long day.”

You were too focused on the sound that had just come out of his mouth to register his words. It was even worse when he undid the black bowtie he always wore, letting the pieces hang there on the collar of his dress shirt, which he undid the first button of.

The heat that usually settled in your stomach whenever you were around him began to pool a little lower. Why was he doing this in front of you? Did he seriously not realize that he was just flustering you worse? “Do you get overheated?” you blurted out. “I mean since you're made of fire and all.” You couldn't tear your eyes away from the bit of chest that was now exposed. He was well-toned and the swirls of fire and magic that danced just beneath his skin made it all the more mesmerizing to look at.

Grillby just looked at you for a moment before he realized what you were asking. “Oh. Yes, I can actually. I-It's not really the _heat_ , per se, more the humidity... My apologies. I should have said something before just doing that.” He went to button his shirt back up.

“Wait!” you exclaimed before you could stop yourself. “Uh. It's fine.”

“If you say so,” he said, chuckling. “I must admit, though, I am confused.”

You were confused too. “About... what?”

“I figured your curiosity about my elemental nature would have been... sated by now.”

"C-curiosity?" you stammered. You weren't quite sure if you liked where this was going. Did he think your interest in him was just a passing curiosity?

Grillby ran a hand through his... flames? "Well, you're always... staring at me. I figured you must have some sort of curiosity, considering monsters have only been part of your life for a short time. So I've done my best to help sate that for you." A bit of blue was working its way up his chest _(holy shit_ that was attractive) and up to his face.

You had been caught red-handed (red-eyed? You weren't sure) and there was no recovering from this. It was do or die time. "Oh geez, Grillby. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." You wondered why he hadn't said anything about it until now; it wasn't like you were subtle with your staring, as much as you tried to be.

"There's no need to apologize, my friend," Grillby said, cracking a genuine smile at you, mouth and all. The appearance of those jagged pseudo-teeth made your heart race. "I find the attention quite flattering, if I'm being honest. I just don't understand."

Why was he confused? You figured it was pretty damn obvious you were into him. Apparently it was to everyone... but him. You felt a surge of determination; you were probably going to get banned for life from this place for this, but you had to say _something_ , dammit! You had to let him know just how much you adored him.

You sighed, swallowed your fears, and took a deep breath. "Grillby... Geez, how do I even _say_ this? I guess I was curious at _first_... I've never seen anyone quite like you. But you've been so nice to me this whole time I've known you. And you're so, _so_ damn beautiful, that I couldn't help but..." you trailed off, unsure if you should continue or not.

"What?" Grillby asked. His voice was breathy, barely above a whisper; it was pretty damn distracting, if you were being honest. You had his undivided attention at this point.

"Grillby, I... I _like_ you. A _lot_. You're sweet, and gentle, and you always make sure I'm okay after a bad day," you finally said, after a long moment of thought. Then, as an afterthought, since you had already dug your grave: "P-plus, I think you're _really_ attractive. Man, do you _know_ how well the whole 'dapper bartender' thing works for you? B-because it does. A lot. Um. I'm going to shut up now."

You could probably hear a pin drop in the room, it was that quiet. Telling by the absolutely floored look on Grillby's face, this was probably not what he had expected to hear from you. Your fear doubled up on itself with each passing second that he didn't say anything. Why wasn't he saying anything?! Was he really that offended by what you had said? You had tried to put it in the least creepy way you possibly could, but obviously you had failed at that.

Finally, _finally_ , he said something. “I... I had no idea you felt that way about me...” he said. For once, the tables had turned. _You_ had _him_ flustered. His flames began flickering erratically, and he had more blue in him than you had ever seen before.

You panicked. “L-Look, I'm sorry,” you said. “I never meant for this to happen. You've just been so wonderful, and... ugh.” Were you tearing up? You blinked and felt something drip down the side of your face; yep. You felt absolutely pathetic. “I'm just g-gonna get up and walk out now. And you'll never have to deal with me again. I p-promise.”

Suddenly, he was on your side of the counter. “W-what?!” he asked, thoroughly confused at your train of logic. “Why?”

“That's what you want, isn't it?” you replied, unable to stop the tears from coming now. Man, this wasn't how you envisioned the evening going; this was probably the worst day you'd had in a while. “You probably think I'm all gross and creepy, d-don't you?”

“No!” Grillby exclaimed, and you were surprised at how fast he reacted. He knelt down so that he was at your sitting height. “I could never...” Gently, he stroked your cheek, wiping away your tears. Somewhere in the back of your mind, you wondered how the liquid didn't hurt him, but mostly you were focused on the fact that _he was touching your face_.

You took a shaky breath. “Y-you mean it?” More tears were spilling down your face, though you weren't quite sure what you were feeling right now. Fear... sadness... the slightest tinge of hope?

He pulled you close, wrapping his strong, warm arms around you. “Of course I do. Please... don't cry,” he said sweetly. The charcoal scent that normally lingered around him overwhelmed you now, and you felt your erratic emotions calm down ever so slightly.

“I thought you'd hate me,” you murmured, voice slightly muffled by his shoulder.

“No... not possible,” he said softly, stroking your hair ever so gently. He released you and scooted back just a little, so you could see his face. “You're so lovely...” When you were this close to him, you had no problem seeing his eyes behind the lenses of his glasses. He was looking at you with such an intense gaze; you couldn't quite read the emotion he was giving off.

Your breath caught in your throat. Finally, you screwed up the courage to do what you had wanted to for weeks – no, months – now. You reached up and cupped his face gently with your hand. Just as it had been when you had kissed his cheek all that time ago, his face was surprisingly solid behind all that fire. “Grillby,” you breathed.

He looked away for a moment, and then looked back. It seemed like he was nervous about something. “May I... may I kiss you?” he finally asked.

You didn't even need time to consider that. “Yes!” you exclaimed, and that was all he needed. He closed the distance between you two and finally, _finally_ , you were kissing him. His lips were just as soft as they had been against your hand, and you wound your hand through the flames on the top of his head. Those were less solid than he was, but you could feel the warm tickles as they licked across your hand gently.

Hungrily, you reciprocated his passion, biting back a gasp as he began tangling warm fingers through your hair. For the time being, there was nothing in the world except you and him; nothing but the heat he gave off, and the sheer desire that you two had finally given into.

Eventually, though, you needed to breathe. As you broke apart, both of you were panting.

“Holy _shit_ ,” was all you could say.

Grillby couldn't help but chuckle at your rather ornery reaction. “I would have to say I share the sentiment,” he rumbled. His voice had taken on a husky undertone that shot straight down your spine to the places that mattered, and your face flushed to match.

“W-well, I, uh...” You were nervous again. The way he said things had a tendency to do that to you.

“That was something else that confused me,” he continued. “You always get so... flustered every time I say something.”

Oh geez, had he noticed _that_ too? Well, it wasn't like you were being subtle about that either. You began playing with your now messed-up hair. “Well, you see, Grillby, that's, uh... because. Um.” You really didn't want to have to say it; it was embarrassing! You took a shuddery breath. “I... really like the sound of your voice,” you muttered. “A-And I wouldn't mind you whispering to me, u-uh, like you did that one time.”

Grillby got up from his kneeling position in front of you. For a moment, you were confused as to why, until he came up behind you and placed his hands on your shoulders and leaned down. “... is that so?” he whispered, mouth right by your ear. You could feel his hot breath on you, and you swore your heart stopped momentarily. “All you needed to do was ask.”

“ _S-shit_ ,” you gasped, and the heat in your stomach doubled upon itself. You hadn't thought Grillby had had it in him to tease like that. Standing up from your seat at the counter, you rounded on Grillby. His eyes widened a fraction, but he didn't flinch. You took his face in your hand again and brought your mouth to his. He eagerly reciprocated, and you pushed him back into the counter lightly.

You broke away from his mouth and began trailing gentle kisses down his jaw. There was a whoosh as Grillby's flames began to trail higher. You supposed this meant he was excited. He was so warm under your lips... You trailed down lower, burying your face into the crook of his neck, and you swore you could feel his magic pulsing under your lips. Tentatively, you nibbled a little on his neck. This earned you a gasp and a strangled moan from the man pinned beneath you.

Oh man, you wanted to hear that again and again. You trailed lower still, arriving at the bit of skin that was exposed by his partially opened shirt. Placing a kiss about where his collar bone should be, you began running your hands up and down his sides, feeling the firmness of his torso under the soft give of his silk vest. Grillby gave a soft gasp at this. Good, you thought; you wanted him to enjoy himself. And if the slight hardness you could feel against your hip meant anything, then he definitely was.

He pushed up on your shoulders lightly, and you took that as a cue to stop for now. You pulled yourself up and looked at him and whoa, you liked what you saw. He wasn't even bothering to hide his mouth now, and the way he was breathing suggested he was quite worked up.

“You okay?” you asked. You didn't want to do anything he wasn't comfortable with.

“M-more than okay,” he breathed. There was more of that huskiness in his voice that you liked, and you bit your lip. “I was just thinking...”

You ran a hand through the flames on the top of his head. “Hm?” you questioned sweetly.

“Well...” he flushed blue and glanced away for a second. “You're the one who's had the worse day. Why don't I take care of you first?”

Your stomach did an anticipatory flutter at his words. Oh my... You wondered what he had in store for you. “O-okay,” you stammered, suddenly feeling more nervous that you had been all night.

“Alright then...” Grillby said, a bit of a smile on his face. “May I turn us around?”

“G-go for it,” you replied, and so he did. Grillby grasped your arms with a gentle yet firm grip and brought you around so that he was now pinning you to the countertop. The corner dug into your back but you were far beyond caring at this point; all you wanted right now was more of his hands on your body and his lips on your neck.

Grillby began peppering your jaw with gentle kisses. You gasped and arched into his touch, wanting more. Against your skin, you felt Grillby give a gentle chuckle at your overwhelmingly positive response.

“You're so eager...” he murmured, pressing his lips to the pulse at your neck, which was no doubt racing by now. “It's endearing.”

Each and every word sent another jolt of arousal down your spine. You glanced past his shoulder and out the window, at the night beyond, trying to lose yourself in the sensation. Wait... windows. Windows that weren't covered.

“Grillby,” you gasped, stiffening a little. His hands and lips were off of you at once, and you almost whimpered at the loss of contact.

“A-are you alright?” he asked, concerned. “I-I didn't burn you, did I?”

You shook your head. “No, not that. I-I just realized... Um. People could probably see us i-if they walked by.”

“Let me take care of that,” Grillby said, and he was across the room before you could think about it. Quickly, he pulled the blinds down and made sure that no one could see into the bar. “Is that better?” He was back by your side just as fast.

“Yes, w-way better,” you said, less worried about being walked in on. He was so attentive to your needs and feelings... Your heart fluttered; he was probably the sweetest person you had ever met.

He coughed nervously. “Er, before we continue... Are you absolutely certain this is what you want? I don't want to make you do anything you're not comfortable with.”

You took his hands in yours. “Grillby, I am definitely sure that this is what I want to do. Shit, do you know how long I've been... uh... imagining this? I-It's been a while...” It was now your turn to look away nervously.

“I... I never realized...” Grillby said, blue dancing up and down his form with no set pattern at all. He was beautiful like this. You wanted him to know exactly how much you adored him.

You gently cupped his face in your hand, feeling his skin heat slightly at your touch. “Why are you so surprised?” you asked.

“Well, I...” For once, it looked like it was Grillby who was unsure of what to say. “Aren't most humans afraid of fire?”

You shrugged. “Sure. But most fires aren't incredibly attractive gentlemen who run cozy bars,” you retorted. Where had this courage come from?

That seemed to cause some sort of resolve in him, and the passion with which he launched forward and claimed your lips with his surprised you. You felt the counter hitting your back as he pinned you down once more with his weight, and you moaned as his hands began running up and down your sides.

You felt warm hands tug at the bottom of your shirt. Grillby broke the kiss momentarily. “Er, may I?” he asked. The fact that he kept asking permission for these things stirred something up in you. He was so considerate.

“ _Please_ ,” you breathed, and he made quick work of the top half of your clothing. The coolness of the counter was a stark contrast to the heat of his roaming hands, and you absolutely loved it. You did feel a little self-conscious at being so exposed in front of him, though. What if he didn't like what he saw? What if that caused him to stop entirely? What did monsters even find attractive, anyway?

As if sensing your insecurity, Grillby began trailing kisses down your chest and towards your stomach. “You're so beautiful,” he said, each word punctuated by another kiss. “Your skin is so soft... I love it.” His hands found your lower back, and you were putty in his hands at his warm touch. You bet he gave a pretty good massage, what with those warm hands of his. Maybe if you asked nicely... Eh. Perhaps another day; you counted yourself unbelievably lucky enough already.

You two hadn't even gotten to the main act, and your chest was already heaving; you wondered if you'd even last long at this rate. A part of you felt guilty that most of the focus was on you. You really liked Grillby, and you wanted him to enjoy this too.

Your hands found their way to Grillby's vest, and you made quick work of the buttons. He went to slide it off, but you put a hand on his shoulder.

“Hm?” he asked, confused.

You blushed. “Er... leave it on. Please. I... uh... I like it,” you admitted. There was just something about him, dressed so sharply yet engaging in something so carnal; it drove you wild.

“If you want,” he replied, chuckling throatily. At this point, you knew he had to be exaggerating the huskiness of his voice to get a rise out of you, and _dammit_ , it was working. You arched up against him some more, longing for more skin-against-skin contact.

“You're such a tease,” you muttered quietly, catching his lips with yours once more. You ground your hips against his, and he responded by deepening the kiss; the sheer passion made your head spin a little.

His fingertips brushed against the waistband of your work pants. He broke the kiss and looked at you, silently asking permission to go forward. You nodded, and just as quickly as the top half of your clothes was taken care of, so was the bottom half; it seemed like making drinks wasn't the only thing Grillby was swift and precise at.

You were bare before him, and the anticipation was almost too much to take. Reaching down, you began to undo Grillby's belt, but your hands were shaking too much to really do anything.

“Are you nervous?” he asked. You nodded. “If you want, we can stop.” You shook your head; you wanted this so badly, but you were still worried. Was this all he wanted? Or was there more to this than just a causal tryst?

You took a deep breath. “I-I'm okay,” you said. Mostly, you wanted his hands back on you; you were more sure of everything with his gentle touch helping you along. You took his hands and guided them back to your body, glancing up at him nervously. He seemed to get the idea.

“Relax,” he said softly, bringing his lips to your neck as his hands finally dipped lower than your stomach. “It's alright.” Slowly, he eased a single finger inside of you. You gasped at the sudden warmth, but you were quickly soothed by a flurry of gentle kisses to your jaw and cheeks. He added a second finger to the first and started a slow but steady rhythm.

“G-Grillby,” you moaned, resting your head on his shoulder and wrapping your arms around his neck. You moaning his name must have done something to him, because he grunted and intensified his pace a little. Your knees began to wobble; he certainly was good with his hands.

After he was sure you were sufficiently prepared, he eased out of you with the same gentleness he had begun with. He deftly undid his belt and released himself from the confines of his pants. You chanced a glance down and noticed that aside from the fiery coloration, he wasn't all that different than a human man. You wondered if that was a construct of magic or not.

He glanced back up at you to see you biting your lip in anticipation. “Are you sure?” he asked. “I'm not going to do it unless you're sure.”

You decided it was time to take matters into your own hands. Wrapping your hands around his back, you pulled him forward and into you. “I'm sure,” you said, smiling deviously. He gasped and you swore you saw steam come up from him.

He started with a slow and gentle pace. Obviously, he wanted to make sure you were comfortable. With each thrust, he planted soft kisses on your shoulders, your neck, your mouth. You wrapped your legs around his waist and thrust up, looking to quicken the pace. He swept one hand beneath you and supported you while he used the other to brace himself against the counter.

“I want you to enjoy this – ah! - as much as possible,” Grillby said, picking up the pace a little as you urged him with the heel of your foot. You could lose yourself in the sensation like this; his warmth was all around you like a comforting blanket. If his goal was to get you to relieve some stress, then it was working. At this point, there was no trace of the bad mood you had walked in with; it was just you, and him, and the countertop beneath you two.

When he was confident that you wouldn't fall if he released you, Grillby reached a hand down to the junction between you, stroking at your most sensitive areas. You bucked your hips up at his touch, urging him to continue onward. By now, you were nearing your peak, thanks to his near constant attention. It might have been a little soon, but that was just a testament to how well you were being treated.

“Ah! Grillby, I-I-” you sputtered, unable to make a coherent sentence among the pleasant haze in your mind.

“Shh...” he responded, stroking your hair gently. “Just enjoy it. No need for words, dear.”

And so you did. With his soft touches and sweet reassurances, you allowed yourself to tip over the edge, shouting his name as you did. He held you close through it, whispering kind words into your ear as you sputtered incoherencies in return.

Slowly, shakily, you unwrapped yourself from around his waist. He pulled himself out of you and gently leaned you against the countertop while he quickly went behind it. You could hear the sound of liquid sloshing around and were surprised when he handed you a glass of water and a small towel.

“Here,” he said. “Normally I don't touch the stuff, but it's important for humans to stay hydrated, especially after... strenuous activities.” Faintly, you remembered he had also poured you a glass of water the first time you had come in here; if he didn't usually touch it, then you considered it very kind of him to go out of his way like that.

You drained your glass quickly. “Thanks,” you said, voice a little hoarse from your earlier... exclamation. You ran a hand through your sweat-dampened hair, finished cleaning yourself off, and placed the now empty glass back on the countertop. It idly occurred to you that you were still very much undressed; maybe you should fix that.

Grillby came back around to your side and handed you your shirt, which had somehow found its way behind the counter. “Are you alright? I didn't hurt you at all, did I?”

You shook your head as you finished adjusting your clothing. “Nope, you didn't hurt me. And uh... besides, I don't think I would have, um, _minded_ if you had,” you admitted, blushing a little. Next time, you would have to urge him to get a little rough.

Er, that was, if there was even _going_ to be a next time. You still weren't sure about that part. Well, you know _you_ wanted a next time, but this was all a two-way street.

Grillby coughed, running a hand through his flames. “I-I see. I suppose... I'll, er, keep that in mind.”

A dim glow a bit lower than your field of vision caught your eye. You looked down to see that- oh. It looked like that while you had climaxed, Grillby still... hadn't. Instantly, you felt terrible; you had been so caught up in your own sensations that you had neglected to make sure he had equally enjoyed himself.

He followed your glance downward and flushed blue to match your own embarrassment. “Er...” he said, for once at a loss for words.

“Um...” you responded just as eloquently.

“My apologies,” he said, running a hand through his flames once more and turning around so he could adjust himself.

You saw an opportunity. Quickly, you came up behind him and embraced him. His warm back pressed up against you, and you sighed happily. “Don't apologize,” you crooned in his ear (or whereabouts his ear should have been; you still didn't know about that one just yet).

Grillby stiffened slightly, and you were worried you had crossed a line somewhere. Still, he didn't pull away. “W-well, I uh,” he stammered. “It's alright. This was for your pleasure, so there's no need to worry about me.”

A spark of courage; you could do this. “But... what if I _wanted_ to worry about you?” you asked, voice taking on a faux-innocent tone. You trailed a finger down the back of his silk vest, and he shivered in what you hoped was delight.

“I... well... T-that's not necessary,” he replied, though the way his voice caught in his throat and the fact that his flames had started to trail higher once more betrayed his excitement at the idea. “T-though I am flattered that you care...”

You slipped around to his front. “Of course I care,” you purred, taking both ends of his bowtie and using them to pull him towards you for another kiss. He responded eagerly, and as you ran a hand through the flames on the top of his head, you realized he hadn't taken his glasses off at all this whole time. You... liked that, if you were being honest. His eyes were pretty damn beautiful, but those elegant frames added to the 'dapper gentleman' aesthetic that attracted you to him in the first place.

Slowly, you started to undo the buttons of his dress shirt as you backed him up into the counter. As you unfastened each button, you kissed every bit of fiery skin that was exposed to the open air. You heard him let out a sharp exhale as you reached where his navel would have been were he human. He hadn't stopped you yet, so you figured this was a good sign.

Getting down on your knees, you looked him head on. He was achingly hard, and the sight made your mouth water in anticipation. You looked up at him, this time with you silently asking permission to continue.

He let out an audible gulp, face bright blue. After what seemed like forever, he nodded. You nodded in return and carefully took the tip of him into your mouth, being mindful of your teeth. Just like the rest of him, the sensation was warmer than that of a human, but not burning. Grillby let out a groan and gently threaded his warm fingers into your hair, urging you onward without being forceful about it.

You took his shaft in one of your hands while the other braced yourself up against the counter; it wouldn't be a good idea to lose your balance like this. Slowly, you began to pump your hand up and down as you swirled your tongue around his tip. Grillby let out a strangled moan, and you felt one of his hands leave your hair. Curious, you looked up to see him muffling himself with the hand in question.

Taking him out of your mouth for a moment, you leaned back to get a better look at his face. “E-everything okay?” you asked. You totally weren't sure of yourself when it came to things like these; for all you knew, you were totally botching it.

Grillby nodded, some of the blues in his face turning to white. Oh wow, that was beautiful. “I-I-I,” he stammered. He then took a deep breath. “P-please forgive me. T-that was horribly undignified of me.”

You just looked into his eyes for a moment before smiling. “It's okay,” you said sweetly, returning your hand to his shaft and resuming your previous rhythm. “I _want_ to hear you.” You leaned forward until he was almost back into your mouth before you looked back up at him with pleading eyes. “Please?”

He wrapped his hand around the back of your neck and gently guided you back down onto him at a pace he made sure you were comfortable with. Even when things were focused on him, he still took you into consideration... The thought made your stomach do the most enticing flips; he truly was something amazing to behold.

You took him a little farther into your mouth as your hand quickened its pace. Grillby let out the most pleasured groan you had gotten from him all night, and the sound went straight down to your core. Oh man, if you didn't have to be up early tomorrow, you would have totally opted for a round two... provided he was willing, that was.

Running your tongue along the underside of his shaft, you paused for a moment to look up at him with trusting eyes. His chest was heaving, and you could see the muscles of his torso rising and falling with each pleasured breath he took. His eyes were closed, but he opened them when you stopped moving. He looked down, and the whites in his face nearly doubled in amount. To have you looking up at him with such affection in your eyes while performing such an intimate act... you wondered what was going through his mind.

He let out a breathy moan of your name, and hearing that spill from his lips in such a husky tone drove you onward. You took him as far as you could go, letting both hands take care of the rest.

“S-shit!” he exclaimed. You had never heard him swear before; the unexpected vulgarity sent a jolt of heat through you. Never before had you gotten this excited while pleasuring someone else.

You couldn't help but chuckle a little bit, the vibrations of your laugh reverberating all around him. He took a sharp breath at this, and you felt his hands tangle back into your hair, harder this time. A part of you was glad he was being so gentle, but a different part of you wanted him to get rougher, as rough as you could take it. You swirled your tongue all around him, trying to get at every part you could reach.

“I-I-I'm going to-” Grillby stuttered, and you felt his hands begin to tug you backwards, away from him. He must have been close, and was trying to let you know.

Oh, but you had no intentions of letting go. You wanted this to be the best possible experience for him. Instead of pulling back, you surged forward slightly, taking yourself slightly past your limit. It was somewhat uncomfortable, but you managed to stay like that. Your hand was working furiously at him now, trying to drum up all the friction you could. As you worked him, you studied the swirling patterns of flames on his body; the more excited he got, the faster the magic within him swirled, it seemed. It was mesmerizing.

The flames at the top of his head whooshed higher than you'd ever seen them before. He was grabbing more frantically at you now, trying to get you to pull back before it was too late, but you were determined to see this through to the end.

His frantic breathing stopped short as he tensed. He choked out something that halfway sounded like your name as he stiffened completely. You felt something very warm and wet hit your throat. Thankfully, it was relatively tasteless. You let Grillby spill himself down your throat as he slumped back against the countertop and away from your mouth. Right now, you were trying very, very hard not to cough.

For a moment, all he could do was lean there, catching his breath. Then, he realized what had just happened. He sprang up, dashing behind the counter and grabbing another small towel as his flames dimmed a little in what you perceived as shame.

“I-I am so sorry!” he exclaimed. “I shouldn't have done that!”

You looked him right in the eyes and swallowed loudly, emphasizing the sound of liquid going down your throat. “What are you sorry about, Grillby?” you asked, that tone of faux-innocence back in your voice once more.

He blushed not blue, but a blinding _white_ at that. “U-uh,” he sputtered, trying to form words. Whatever thoughts he was trying to convey, however, were cut off by the fact that the towel in his hand _ignited_. He yelped and dropped the offending cloth to the floor, stamping it out with the heels of his fine leather shoes.

Instead of panicking, though, you laughed. He was adorable like this, all blushy and flustered. “So you _can_ set things on fire!” you observed, grinning at him.

When he was sure there was no further fire danger, he looked away from you and coughed nervously. “Well... yes. Usually only when I get upset, though. Or... sufficiently flustered.” He turned back to you, and his eyes widened when his gaze fell on your face. “Um, you have, er...” He reached out and gently wiped your mouth with a paper napkin he grabbed from the counter. It came away with some of – oh. It was orange, just like he was; you supposed that made sense. You wondered if it was composed of magic or actual genetic material.

“T-thank you,” you said, suddenly feeling self-conscious. You wondered if you had maybe gone too far with that last bit. “Uh, you okay?”

He nodded. “Y-yes,” he responded. He was slowly beginning to return to his normal coloration, and he excused himself quietly to go grab something from the back.

Seeing nothing else to do, you returned to your usual seat at the counter. The earlier day felt so far away now; had you really been at work all day? You drummed your fingertips on the countertop. What now? Did this change anything between you and him? Or was this a one time thing? You wanted so desperately for it to be the start of something more significant. It wasn't love, not quite yet, but you knew you had a strong fondness for Grillby. He was quiet, and kind, and gentle, and the very thought of him made your heart swell with a sort of giddiness you hadn't felt since you were a teenager.

The door to the kitchen creaked open. It was funny, you mused, how at night, the sounds one usually never heard were significantly amplified. Grillby came out from the back with a spray bottle and a clean towel. He walked around to about where you two had been on the counter and sprayed it down. Ah, disinfecting. You figured it was a good idea; wouldn't want to cause a health issue, after all.

There was an uncomfortable lump in your throat as you watched him make sure everything was in order. You needed to say something; to sit in silence after you two were so intimate with one another was more than your poor heart could bear.

“Um... Grillby?” you asked meekly.

“Hm?” he responded, pausing in his efforts and looking at you.

You sighed, swallowing around the lump in your throat. “Did you... did you enjoy that?” you finally said. “I-I'm not the most experienced, s-so for all I know I could have botched something completely, and, oh, you're way too polite to let me know...” You were just rambling now, your feelings spilling forth completely unfiltered. The panic was settling in. “A-and I'm sorry if I was a little forward earlier, I-I just wanted to-”

Warm arms wrapped around you, the bottle of sanitizer and the towel left forgotten on the counter. “Shh...” he said soothingly, stroking your hair gently. “Do not worry. I... enjoyed myself thoroughly. I was... worrying the same thing, if I'm being honest. Did you find everything... satisfactory?”

You pulled back so you could see his face. “ _Yes_ ,” you breathed, face flushing. “You're... heh! You're pretty damn good at this.”

Grillby chuckled. “I aim to please,” he said, cracking a smile.

“Well, uh, you certainly, um, 'pleased' me,” you admitted, running a hand through your hair. You leaned forward into his gentle touch. Now that you had calmed down, you realized just how tired you were. It was probably super late.

You yawned, pressing your face into his shoulder.

“Don't fall asleep on me just yet,” Grillby said, though you could tell he was amused by your sudden shift in energy level.

“'m tired,” you murmured, voice muffled by Grillby's shirt and vest.

To your mild surprise, Grillby lifted you up and out of the chair you had been occupying. It seemed almost effortless, the way he did; you supposed the magic coursing through him allowed him certain privileges most humans didn't have. You wrapped your arms around his neck as he cradled you securely and carried you to the door.

His warmth wrapped all around you and made you even sleepier. Your eyelids grew heavy. “Where are we going?” you lazily asked, resting your head against his chest as he opened the door and carried you outside.

“If it is alright with you, my apartment. I live directly across the street from here,” Grillby answered. “Er, just to sleep, probably.”

You nodded. “Okay. Gotta be up early tomorrow, though.”

Grillby stopped for a moment. “And you still stayed late? Won't you be tired tomorrow?”

“Worth it,” was all you said in response. Grillby chuckled at that, and you could feel the vibrations of it in his chest. Safe; you felt safe, here in his arms. Even if the world were to come to an end right at this moment, you felt as if you'd be okay.

It was here, secure in his arms, that you fell into a pleasant, dreamless slumber.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've stuck around reading my self-indulgent garbage for this long, you're in just as deep as I am. Let us revel in fire-smooching hell together.


	4. An Afterburn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The awkward morning after. What's gonna happen? Lots of romantic tension, that's what!

Your alarm woke you up much too early for your liking. Honestly, you were glad you set them in advance; sometimes when you went to bed, you were too tired to even remember to plug your phone in, much less set an alarm.

As your consciousness returned from the abyss of sleep, the first thing you realized was that the bed you were in was not yours. You bolted upright, taking in the room around you. This place wasn't familiar to you, either. What had-

Oh. _Oh_. That was _right_. As you grabbed for your phone to shut off its cursed shrill alarm, the memories of the night before came back. You were glad you were sober for all of it, because you remembered _everything_. Though you were alone in the room, you pulled the covers up to hide your flushing face as you recalled Grillby's gentle caresses, his husky voice in your ear, the warmth of his body as he pulled himself closer to you...

This must have been his room, you surmised. Honestly, after he started carrying you out of the bar, it all became a sleepy blur. You remembered some stairs and the soft dip of a bed and that was about it. But if you were in here and he wasn't... where was _he_?

You unplugged your phone from the charger that you always carried with you (you smiled; he was considerate enough to make sure it was plugged in) and threw the light covers off of your body. Except for your shoes, which you found right by the bed, you were still fully-clothed in your work attire. Gentleman that he was, Grillby probably hadn't wanted to make things awkward by taking anything else off when you weren't conscious to consent to it. Your heart swelled; what had you done right in your life to deserve someone as wonderful as him?

There was a bathroom off to the side, and you trudged in there, not really wanting to face another day at work. Still, you had to, and as you took care of your business, you couldn't help but notice how tidy his shower was, as if it was almost never used. … Wait. Duh. You smacked yourself in the forehead. Of course it wasn't; Grillby was literally made of _fire_.

You finished all you could without your usual utensils such as a toothbrush (urgh; you'd have to buy a spare on your way to work and take care of that in the work restroom) and grabbed your stuff. The question of where Grillby was was answered when you went out into the living room. The place had a very simple yet elegant décor to it, and you couldn't help but see it as perfect for someone like Grillby.

The fire man in question was sprawled out on a couch, fast asleep. He must have deposited you in his bed before falling asleep here. If you had been awake, you probably would have insisted on an opposite situation or maybe even... sharing the bed. You shook those thoughts away, blushing. Somehow that seemed way too forward, even if you two had gone all the way last night.

You were awestruck at how peaceful Grillby looked while sleeping. He too was still in his clothing from last night; he must have been tired as well. His flames were dimmed and they seemed to rise and fall subtly with each breath he took. While asleep, his mouth was fully visible, so you figured hiding it must be a conscious action on his part. His glasses were on the coffee table beside him.

Now, you thought, for the real question. Should you wake him or not? It felt... almost wrong to just leave like this, without saying a word, but you also didn't want to be rude and wake him. He looked so content, asleep like that. There was also the fact that... you were worried about what he would say. The night had passed, and the day was new. Would he interpret last night as a mistake?

You had no regrets about what had happened. In fact, you could hardly believe it happened at all. If it weren't for the fact that you were here in his actual apartment, you could have even written off the happenings of last night as a vivid, wonderful dream. Did this mean that he liked you as well? You didn't think it was possible; you were just an ordinary human, and Grillby was... well, he was Grillby. He went beyond describing, honestly.

Maybe he had just felt sorry for you, the lonely human who spent their time in a monster bar. Maybe he had just meant to offer simple comfort, but one thing had led to another, and- Oh. You were crying.

Time was ticking. You had to get to work or risk being late. Furiously wiping your tears and cursing your stupid emotions, you decided waking him up and facing potential rejection wasn't the best idea. You spied a pen and pad of paper on the coffee table and decided that would be perfect; you would leave him a note. But what to write? You didn't want to sound dismissive, but you didn't want to sound desperate either... Would he be upset that you left without saying anything, or would he be relieved? Oh, and that wasn't even taking in consideration what you'd hear from him the next time you visited his bar. Well, _if_ you visited, that was. Maybe... maybe you shouldn't, not anymore.

Temporarily banishing all thoughts of future rejection from your mind, you decided to take a middle ground on your note, keeping it friendly but neutral.

' _Grillby,_

_Noticed you were asleep when I got up to go to work, and didn't want to wake you. You looked too peaceful to disturb. I had to dash but I decided leaving a note was best. So, uh, here it is. I hope you slept okay.'_

You signed it and put your phone number next to a ' _PS: I totally would have been fine on the couch!_ ', and left it right next to his glasses; there was no way he could have missed it.

As quietly as possible, you gathered your things and slipped out the front door, ready to face the day ahead. You _knew_ at least one of your coworkers would notice the rumpled state of your clothing and comment, but you didn't care. It had been worth it… you just hoped Grillby didn't think of the whole thing as a big mistake.

~

Well, it had been pretty hard to concentrate at work. You brushed off all the comments about your somewhat disheveled appearance and tried to complete your tasks, but your mind kept straying back to Grillby. It'd be about time for him to open soon, so you knew he was awake by now. Had he read your note? You hadn't looked at your phone all morning, so you didn't know if he'd responded or not. Probably not; why would he? He had more important things to worry about than a silly human.

Finally, _finally_ , it was time for your lunch break. You decided that the cafe right next door was the best place to go. You hadn't had your morning coffee and that made you sort of grouchy. After ordering and receiving your usual, you took a seat in your normal spot and took a deep breath. It was now or never; time to check your phone. If he responded, you'd visit the bar tonight, depending on what he said. If he had said nothing, then you would cut your losses and move on with your life.

Your heart leapt when you saw you had one new text from an unfamiliar number; that had to be him, right?

You opened the text to find that he had written quite a bit. Your heart sank; people usually only wrote a lot when they were upset or angry. This was it; you had blown it. But then you actually took a second to read what he had written.

' _Hello there. I appreciate your thoughtfulness in wanting to let me sleep, but I assure you that I would not have been upset had you decided to wake me. I slept quite well, thank you for asking. I hope you did as well... You must have left quite early, as I generally wake up early myself. It goes without saying that I hope you do not push yourself too hard today, as too much to do on too little sleep isn't good for anyone._

_I wish you the best of luck in dealing with today's endeavors, and I hope work today goes better for you than yesterday. Will I have the privilege of seeing you this evening? I would like to have a word with you._

_-Grillby_

_PS: I know you would have fought to let me keep my bed had you been awake, but it is important that I treat my guests with the utmost respect! Especially you.'_

By the time you finished reading his text, you had to hide your face in your arms to cover your ridiculous grin. Wow. He was one of those dorks who signed his texts. You could almost hear his voice in the way he wrote; that smoky lilt that you had come to adore so much was evident in his words. And the most important thing was that he seemed to want to see you again. That had to be good, right? Unless... he was the sort of person who preferred to let someone down face to face. The anxiety was crawling back into your stomach.

You finished up your lunch and trudged back to work. Tonight, you would go and see Grillby, and hopefully you two could clear some things up by talking. Even if he didn't want anything out of this, you just hoped he wouldn't resent you for anything.

~

This time, you willingly worked as late as you could, just to push the worry over seeing Grillby as far back into your mind as you could. As such, it was only about an hour from the time he usually closed down his bar for the night on weekdays when you finally made your way over to the monster part of town.

Why was it that you were always so nervous about coming here lately? Oh wait, you knew why. But at least you were getting used to it. You pulled open the door and greeted the regulars as they announced your arrival.

Just like the night before, Grillby had been in the kitchen when you arrived, but the second your name was called, the kitchen door opened and Grillby rushed out. You giggled; he seemed almost nervous in the way he straightened his bowtie and ran a hand through his flames as if to try and tame them. And then you remembered you had no idea why he seemed to want you here tonight. You gave him the best smile you could, anyway.

For a Thursday night, the place was actually decently crowded. However, your spot was empty (as it had been for the past few weeks when you arrived; maybe people had gotten used to you) and you sat down, glancing up at Grillby.

Okay, this was sort of awkward. Your spot here at the counter was right where you and Grillby had- Wow. Gosh. The menu, it was suddenly _fascinating_ to you. You ordered your usual alcoholic concoction and refused to look Grillby in the eyes. This was already going _so well_.

Grillby disappeared into the kitchen, and a moment later, you felt your phone buzz in your pocket. Funny, no one usually texted you this late at night... You pulled your phone out to find you had a text from... Grillby? Well, you supposed this was way easier than the game of charades you two had been playing for months now when there were others around you.

' _I was beginning to worry you wouldn't show._ ' A simple, single sentence, and yet it made the anxiety bubbling about in your chest both lighten and double simultaneously. He wanted you here for some reason, but he didn't seem upset. Maybe this was a good thing. Still, even after last night, you couldn't really fathom him taking an interest in you... like that.

' _Wouldn't skip out on you for the world!_ ' You hit send before you could possibly second-guess yourself. Was that too forward? Well, you sort of laughed at the idea of being too forward considering what you two had done on his counter last night, but somehow the notion remained.

Grillby poked his head out from the kitchen with your drink and someone else's food. He seemed a little blue in the cheeks; was that because of what you had said? After handing off the food to another customer, he sat your drink down wordlessly in front of you. It was perfectly made as always. You downed it quickly but didn't order another; you needed the courage, but you knew that if you had too much, things would just get really weird really fast.

The time until closing both flew and crawled simultaneously, and you entertained yourself by drawing silly patterns with your finger on the wood of the countertop. You tried hard not to remember the creaking noises it had made last night when Grillby had pinned you to it.

Finally, the last of the dogs had filed out. The second the door closed, the atmosphere in the bar changed.

You and Grillby stared at each other for a moment. Finally, he broke the agonizing silence. “... It is good to see you.”

“Yeah, same,” you said, giving him a nervous smile. Who was going to crack first and bring up last night?

“How was work?” Grillby asked as he straightened up bottles. Apparently, not him.

You sighed, running a hand through your hair. “It was okay. Same old, same old.”

Grillby nodded. “Good, good.”

Okay, that was enough. “Hey, about last night...” you began.

“Er, yes?” Grillby asked, stiffening slightly. It seemed he knew this was coming.

Time to bite the bullet. “What did that mean to you, Grillby?” Quick, like a band-aid. The sooner you got this over with, the sooner you could get back to your life, flame monster or no flame monster included.

Grillby was silent for a moment. Then, he sighed, turning to face you. He looked you square in the eyes and you felt your face heat up under his intense gaze. “I will admit that it was... not what I had in mind when you came in. I had wanted to cheer you up, but... I never imagined it would have ended up like that.”

You were confused. “Is that... a bad thing?” you asked, fearing his answer but needing to know anyway.

“No!” Grillby exclaimed. “N-not at all! It was just a... pleasant surprise.” He drummed his fingers on the countertop, as if trying to come up with what to say next. “However...”

Your stomach sank. “However?” you parroted. Oh boy, here it was.

“I do apologize if I was... forward. I feel as if I've taken advantage of you, and for that, I am deeply sorry. Most of what I had planned out... it included _maybe_ a kiss, but you responded so eagerly that I... I'm sorry.”

What? “What?”

“I know I'm not the most... _ideal_ of partners for such a thing, but I am glad you enjoyed yourself.”

Not ideal? Was that what he thought you thought when you looked at him? Did he think he was your way of settling for second best? You were floored; that couldn't be further from the truth if you had tried.

“Grillby,” you said, placing your hand on top of his in a bold move. “I-Is that what you think? B-because...” You took a deep breath. “For someone as smart as you, that's really dumb.”

He didn't say anything. He just gave you his customary confused look, and you took that as a cue to continue, but cautiously.

“U-uh, what I mean is...” You sighed. “Wow. I'm not good with this. Um, what I mean is... I really really hope last night meant something to you? Because it did to me and I want to see where this goes, but if you don't – a-and you probably don't – it's okay. I understand.” You looked away from him and set your hands on the counter.

He surprised you by returning your earlier gesture, placing his hands on yours. He said your name softly, and you looked back up at him, finding yourself lost in his bright eyes. “I... I would never string you along like that,” he said gently, bringing one of his hands to your face and cupping your cheek gently. “Everything we did... that meant something to me.”

You were floored. “B-but...” you said, grasping for words. “W-why? You could have anyone... if you wanted. W-why _me_?”

Grillby tilted his head at you. “Why not you? You're one of the most spirited people I have ever met. From the very first day you came into my bar, I knew you had a vibrant soul. You... treated me like I wasn't any different than you... Even if you did stare quite a bit.”

“Heh... sorry about that,” you said, blushing. “I promise, it wasn't because of the fire thing. I-I... thought you were the most amazing thing I'd ever seen. I... I looked at you, and I felt... calm.”

“That's... very kind of you to say,” Grillby replied, after a moment of contemplation. “I know it's probably strange that a being of fire such as myself could calm you.”

You smiled. “You're like a warm fireplace, Grillby.” You took your hands back and covered your reddening face with them. “Things are okay when I'm here with you.” You took a deep breath to steady yourself. “So... you wanna give this a try?”

Grillby nodded slowly. “I think... yes. I'd like that,” he admitted. You took him by surprise by throwing yourself into his arms.

“I'm happy,” you murmured into his ear. He gently wrapped his arms around you.

“So am I...” he said. “I just...”

You pulled back. “Just what?” you asked, concerned.

Grillby sighed. “I just don't know how long it's going to be before the novelty wears off for you.”

“Huh?” You were confused.

“Well... Eventually the thrill of being with a monster will wear off... And...” he looked down at his hands.

You put a hand on Grillby's shoulder. “I'm not... I'm not interested just because you're a _monster_ , Grillby. I like you because you're _you_. You always listen to me when I have a shit day, and you're always really nice to all your customers. A-and you don't get mad at all my dumb questions. You're patient with everyone, a-and you're just so _elegant_. I-I could never compare to someone like you...” you admitted. Were you crying again? Yeah, you were.

Once again, you felt his warm hand on your cheek, wiping away your tears. “Shh...” he said, leaning into you. “It's okay. You are lovely as you are.”

And then he was kissing you again. But this kiss was different than the ones you shared the night before; there wasn't the desperate heat behind it there had been before, just chaste passion. You, for lack of a better word, melted into his touch, and he caught you gently.

Eventually, you pulled back and saw he was smiling. You smiled too; his happiness was infectious.

“That was nice,” you said. It was dizzying, everything a first kiss should have been like. Except... that hadn't exactly been the first kiss. “Wow. We sort of skipped a lot of steps, huh?”

Grillby chuckled lowly. “I suppose we did.” He tapped his chin in thought. “I do apologize for my hastiness.”

You shook your head. “Apology _not_ needed.”

“If you say so,” he replied. “However... I would like to do this right going forward.” He got up from his seat next to you and offered you a hand to help you stand, which you gladly took.

“What do you mean?” you asked as you to headed to the door. Now that all the nervousness that had been buzzing around in your stomach was mostly gone, you realized that you were pretty tired again. You needed to stop working all these long days to distract yourself.

Grillby ran a hand through his flames as he locked the door behind you. “W-well... Every other week I take a day off to relax, and my next day off is in a few days... And well, I was wondering...”

You stopped walking down the sidewalk and gazed into his eyes, anticipating what he'd say next. “Yeah?” you asked, heart beating fast. You felt like a silly teenager.

“Would you like to... perhaps spend some time with me, outside of the bar?” he asked, flames flickering a little in the light breeze that surrounded you. Was he nervous? You didn't know why; he must have known what your answer would have been by now.

You gave him a playful smile. “Hmm...” you said. “I... I _guess_ I can make some time in my busy schedule... just for you.”

Grillby's flames jumped higher, just a little. “Great!” he said, excited. “It's a date.”

Welp: he had said it. It was a date. You were going to go on a date with him; you were all giddy, like it was your first ever crush all over again.

“What did you have in mind?” you asked after a few moments, turning the corner onto your street.

“Hmm...” Grillby said. “Well, I have an idea, but we wouldn't want to ruin the surprise, right?”

You laughed. “I guess so.”

The night had gone far better than you had expected. You turned to Grillby with a smile as you reached your door.

“Good night,” he said quietly, leaning down and kissing you softly on the cheek, much like you had done to him all those months ago. Your stomach did a nervous flip in response. Goodness; had you had quite this much of an effect on _him_ when you had done it? Your fingers reached up and traced the part of your skin where his lips had touched; your skin tingled with a sort of nervous electricity you weren't used to.

“G-good night,” you stuttered out in response. Grillby chuckled, and turned back towards his apartment as you opened the door to your building, raising a hand to you in a silent goodbye.

When he was sufficiently out of sight, you slumped against the wall, sighing happily. Oh, you definitely had it bad for him. And he seemed to be interested back, which was a pleasant surprise for you. He even wanted to take it slow, despite the rather... rushed start. For a faint moment, you wondered if this was a dream, or a prank or something.

Whatever the case, you were determined to not mess this up.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More self-indulgent fluffy stuff, along with Reader being nervous and oblivious. I'll admit, I'm channeling my own thoughts and feelings here.
> 
> Anyway, I'm glad you liked my clumsy first attempt at smut. Feel free to leave a comment down below if you want to. I love you all!~ <3


	5. A Campfire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here comes some fluffy garbage. You were warned.

The days leading up to your mystery date with Grillby passed much too fast for your liking. You saw him a few times and traded texts, but he still refused to tell you where you were going with him.

Finally, it was time. You spent an entire hour agonizing over the perfect outfit to wear. If you went too casual, it'd look like you didn't care at all. On the other hand, if you went with too formal, you could end up looking awkward and desperate. And to add on to your anxiety, you didn't even know where you were going! Eventually, you settled on something that wasn't entirely too casual, but not too formal either. You would have to just go with whatever happened and hope for the best.

The day had been pretty tame as far as days usually went; the weather was temperate, if not a little chilly, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. You wondered if rain negatively affected Grillby; you frowned at the thought of such a gentle person like himself getting hurt.

You paced around your apartment lobby for ten minutes, wondering if you should just cancel and hole up in your room for the rest of your life. Surely you were going to mess this up somehow, and he'd never want to speak to you again. Maybe he wasn't even going to show up. Maybe this was all a joke and he was actually back at his bar laughing over the fact that you actually thought he was interested. You turned away from the front door and looked at your phone, half-expecting to see a text from him, canceling.

A knock made you turn around and oh. There he was. He decided to come after all. You checked the time and noted he was completely punctual; fitting for someone like him. You were nervous again, but you took a deep breath and steeled yourself. This was going to be okay, you could do this.

You opened the door and greeted him happily as you joined him outside. He had abandoned his heavy winter coat in favor of something lighter and more befitting of spring; the light tan jacket fit him well. It seemed that even when he wasn't working at the bar, he still liked to dress up a little; he sported a button down shirt that looked similar to what he wore at work, as well as a pair of dark jeans that looked well-cared for. To top it all off, he wore... a scarf. Oh gosh, that was adorable; a fire wearing a scarf. He probably didn't need it for warmth, considering he was made of fire, so you figured he wore it for the look. You couldn't help but smile as you took his appearance in.

“Hey there,” you greeted nervously. Grillby's flames flickered pleasantly in the waning light. No matter what he wore, he was always astoundingly beautiful.

“Hello,” he replied softly, his voice a pleasant crackle in the evening wind. He embraced you gently, and you felt his warmth even though his jacket. You returned the embrace, sighing contentedly. He gave you the lightest of kisses to your forehead as he released you, so light you wondered if you had maybe imagined it.

You smiled up at him, and he returned the gesture, mouth and all. He offered his arm, and you gently looped yours around his; he was the epitome of propriety, and you found that wonderfully attractive.

“Are you finally going to tell me what you have planned?” you asked, teasingly poking a finger into the arm you were latched onto.

Grillby chuckled. “You'll see,” he said. You could now see that under his other arm, he carried a basket. And the way you two were headed, you would reach the park soon...

Oh goodness. Was this a picnic date? That was about the most adorable thing you could think of...

Sure enough, after a few minutes of comfortable silence, you two entered the park that sat around the line that divided where 'monster' territory and 'human' territory was. This park was often filled with both, so no one really paid you two much mind as you walked down the paths, trying to find a nice enough spot.

You two found a nice hill that wasn't too steep, and Grillby set out a blanket for the both of you to sit on. He sat down first, and offered you a hand so you too could sit. The wind ruffled your hair as you sat there with him, and you felt at ease. He procured a few sandwiches from the basket and handed one to you. It was well-made, just like everything else he did. Honestly, you didn't know what you had done right in your life to land someone like Grillby, but you weren't complaining.

Conversation flowed easily between you two, with Grillby doing most of the listening and you doing most of the talking. You told him about your friends, your family, the life you had had before you moved to the big city to try and make it on your own. And he listened with the same kind patience he had given you when you had been a patron at his bar. He talked a little about himself, but kept the details small. You didn't pry; some monsters weren't as open about talking about the underground as others were. It was, after all, a symbol of the mass oppression monsterkind had faced at the hands of humans. Still, you were curious as to what the world underground was like; you supposed you would have to ask one of the chattier monsters you came across in your daily life.

Children, human and monster alike, played soccer in the fields below you (children, it seemed, had the easiest time adjusting to the change; for them, it was just more new friends to play with) as people walked their pets and strolled through the paths. You two finished the allotted food within half an hour, but neither of you made an effort to move, not for a while.

As the sun began to sink down past the horizon, you stretched out and laid yourself across the blanket, looking up at the brightening stars. Grillby glanced at you for a moment, curious, before joining you.

“... I don't think I will ever get used to the stars above,” Grillby said quietly after a few moments of comfortable silence. “They're truly a sight to behold.”

You turned your head to Grillby and smiled. “Yeah, I know what you mean. It's not often I get to see them so clear like this... the city's _way_ too bright most of the time.”

“We spent so long underground... A lot of us were beginning to lose hope that we'd ever see the surface again,” Grillby continued. Now that night had fallen, the park was quiet. There was nothing except the buzzing of distant bugs and the faint crackle of Grillby's flames.

“What about you?” you finally asked.

Grillby thought for a moment. “I somehow... always knew we would see the sky again. I don't know how, but I never did lose hope entirely. And I'm glad I was able to see it through.”

“I'm glad too,” you admitted honestly. “Everyone deserves a shot at happiness. And...” you trailed off.

“And?” Grillby asked.

You chuckled, a little bashful about saying this. “It meant I got to meet you,” you finished.

Grillby chuckled in return, and from the corner of your eye, you could see he had turned a little blue. “And I you...”

The night provided a blanket of comfortable silence. You sighed softly, taking in the scent of the spring air mixed with the ambient scent of charcoal Grillby always gave off. “Do you know any constellations?” you eventually asked.

“A few,” Grillby said. “I've been studying them. We didn't have anything quite like this underground, except maybe the ceiling stones over in Waterfall, but...”

You glanced over at Grillby. “But what?”

“Just listen to the name. 'Water'. I, ah, didn't go over there much.”

“Oh... I see,” you said, smiling softly. You pointed up at the sky. “I only know one constellation.”

Grillby followed where your finger was pointing. “... Ah. I think I see it.”

You nodded. “Yeah. That's Ursa Major. The Big Dipper. It's supposed to be a bear or something, but all I can see is a soup ladle.”

There was a moment of silence as you two stared up at the vast expanse above. “... I think I see the rest of the bear,” Grillby finally said.

“You do? Show me.”

Grillby gently took your arm and guided your hand across the pattern of stars. It took a few seconds, mostly because your brain was too caught up on the feel of his hand against yours, but you finally saw what he was pointing out.

“Oh, I get it,” you said, laughing softly. The wind picked up slightly, and you could feel it even through your clothing. You shifted slightly closer to Grillby, hoping he wouldn't mind.

“Feeling chilly?” he asked, chuckling.

You blushed. “Well, I, er...” you stammered, a little embarrassed that he caught you so easily.

“Here, I think that's something I'm more than qualified to help with,” Grillby said smoothly, wrapping an arm around you and pulling you closer. His warmth washed over you and you sighed happily, leaning into his touch.

“Thanks,” you murmured, letting the warmth seep into your bones. You wondered if this was just his natural heat, or if he was using some sort of fire magic to warm you.

For a while, you two just laid there, soaking up each others' presence. However, reality eventually ensued, and you had to free your arm from underneath Grillby and shake it from its state of pins and needles.

Your body protested the loss of its heat source as you sat up, massaging the feeling back into your arm.

Grillby chuckled. “Are you alright there, dear?”

“Oh, yeah. Arm fell asleep is all,” you said, blushing at the term of endearment. The last time he had called you that, you two were... well, it was a good thing it was dark and he probably couldn't see you blush.

You felt the brush of cloth against your neck as Grillby undid his scarf and slipped it around you. You blushed even harder and thanked him. Just like his winter coat, his scarf smelled faintly of charcoal. You sighed, breathing it in; this was quickly becoming a familiar and comforting scent to you.

“Enjoying my scarf?” Grillby teased, grinning at you. Oh, had that been obvious?

“I, uh, um...” you responded eloquently. “Sorry.”

Grillby merely smiled in response, mouth and all. “No need to be sorry. You are so very endearing at times...”

“You too...” you mumbled, burying your flushed face into the scarf so he couldn't see you.

That earned a chuckle from your companion. Honestly, you had no idea why you were still so bashful around him at times; he had seen you completely naked, for goodness' sake! But there was something more raw, more risky about emotional intimacy to you; physical closeness was nothing compared to baring your feelings.

“It's getting late...” Grillby said. You took your phone out of your pocket and checked the time to see that he was correct; for once, you had a day off, but tomorrow you had to work. There was no time to spend canoodling, as much as you really wished you could.

You stood up, stretching to combat the protests of your limbs. Grillby quickly packed up everything in his basket, and you two set off down the hill, back towards the city proper.

About halfway through the park, he surprised you by lacing his fingers through yours. You realized this was the first time you'd held his hand while walking. It suddenly struck you that this was real, it was happening. Grillby truly was here, right next to you. It wasn't a dream or a fantasy or anything of the sort. The realization seemed to hit you all at once, and you slowed slightly as your brain caught up with itself.

Apparently, Grillby could sense your surprise. “... Are you alright?” he asked. He looked down at your joined hands and flushed blue. “Er, I should have probably asked before-”

“I'm great!” you blurted out. “I... I really am.” You were grinning stupidly now, but you couldn't help yourself.

“If you're sure,” he replied. “You seemed nervous.”

You used your other hand to tug at the scarf you were wearing in a sort of nervous habit gesture. “Not really... uh, nervous. More like...” you trailed off, sighing. “Just kinda flabbergasted? I mean, it just kinda hit me that this is really happening. And... that thought makes me happy. Ugh. Wow. That sounds totally creepy. I'm sorry.”

Grillby paused for a moment before taking your other hand in his. You turned to face him, slightly confused. “Don't be sorry. I'm... relieved that I haven't accidentally overstepped any boundaries.”

You blushed and glanced away for a moment. “Ah, don't think we really have those, Grillby, considering we, uh...” You coughed nervously. “Yeah.”

“I suppose not in the traditional sense. But I still want to ensure that you are comfortable. The last thing I want to do is force you into a situation that you don't enjoy,” Grillby replied, stroking your cheek softly with a fiery hand.

You placed a hand on top of the one he had on your face and squeezed lightly. “Trust me, I'll let you know if I don't like something,” you said.

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

You spent the rest of the walk back to your apartment building hand-in-hand with Grillby. When you finally reached your front door, he leaned forward and kissed you softly, chastely. You bit back the urge to invite him up and returned his gentle passion with some of your own.

As you made it up to your specific apartment, you realized you had forgotten to return his scarf. You shot off a quick text as you unlocked your front door. ' _Your scarf!!! I'm_ so _sorry!_ ' you texted.

It took only a short moment for Grillby to reply. ' _Keep it for now. It suits you_.'

That night, you fell asleep smiling, still wrapped up in his scarf.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you guys have any idea for stuff you'd like to see Reader and Grillby do (smutty or fluffy, I'll do either) let me know! This is mainly limited to interaction between these two, though, as I'm trying to get a better grasp on how to write everyone else before I attempt that.
> 
> My tumblr is [here](http://antiloquist.tumblr.com/) if you wanna be friends or yell with me about being fire-smooching garbage. I love you all~ <3
> 
> Next up: Reader gets a cold


	6. A Fireplace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, happy America Day, everyone. I'm not going to any celebrations. Instead, I'm WORKING. Sounds sucky, but... double time and a half.
> 
> Anyway, have some fluff.

Even in the face of the rapidly approaching summer, you wore the scarf around like a badge of honor until it was so warm out that even thinking about the scarf made you sweat. You remembered the look on Grillby's face when you waltzed into his bar the next day wearing it. He was flustered for a good few minutes; even some of the regulars noticed he was a little blue in the face.

The days passed by in a pleasant blur. After a rather intimidating talk with Grillby's skeleton friend, Sans, during which you were threatened with 'a bad time' if you ever hurt Grillby, you decided to officially make it a relationship. Despite the rather... passionate start, you two had yet to progress beyond simple kisses once more. Part of you was flattered that Grillby wanted to take things slowly, but part of you also worried that he wasn't actually attracted to you... But that was something to worry about at another time.

Right now, you were more concerned with the fact that your head hurt like hell and you couldn't breathe out of your nose. Yep, you were sick... and of all the days! Today was a day you and Grillby both had off of work, and you were going to go out to a nice cafe with him, one that served both monsters and humans alike.

Even though you were about ninety nine percent sure you couldn't get Grillby sick, you knew he would insist that you stay home and rest; he was always fretting over your health like that. You would never admit it, not to his face, but the fact that he did touched you deeply.

Sighing, you grabbed your phone and composed a text to Grillby. ' _Hey, sorry to have to cancel on you, but I'm super sick. Ugh. I'm_ so _sorry. Take a_ rain check _?_ ' You hoped he found the rain check joke at least a little humorous; you had learned that while he could tolerate light drizzles, torrential downpours weren't good for him.

You were dozing lightly by the time he could answer you back. ' _Oh dear. Considering how you sounded yesterday, I'm not surprised. If you want, I can be over in about an hour._ '

Did you want him to see you like this, all messy hair and bright red nose? Well, if this relationship was going to go anywhere, (and really, you hoped it would) you supposed you would have to see each other at less than your best at some point. ' _I'd like that_ ' is what you finally answered him with.

And so you pulled yourself out of bed, fighting your whole body's protests, and began to straighten up your apartment. It was smaller than Grillby's place (which you had only seen a few times since... _that night_ ) but you liked it all the same. It was cozy and that was what mattered. You managed to get the apartment and yourself looking halfway decent by the time your body finally gave out and you flopped down on your living room sofa.

A knock at your door awoke you from your light slumber. That must have been Grillby; for a moment you wondered how he had gotten in without a key, and then you remembered he must have buzzed in as a guest. You glanced out of your peephole and confirmed that yes, it was indeed Grillby on the other side of the door.

“Hey,” you said, wincing at how congested you sounded. You stepped aside to let Grillby enter, taking in his appearance as you did. He was, as always, dressed a cut above the average man, with his button-down shirt and neatly pressed slacks giving him a sort of business casual appearance.

“Hello,” he greeted back, frowning at you. “You sound horrible.”

You snorted. “Gee, thanks,” you said, but you grinned all the same. You leaned up and kissed him on the cheek lightly as he went to your kitchenette counter. In his hands was a paper bag, which he set down on the counter.

“Sit,” he instructed lightly, pointing to the sofa. You did as you were told, and Grillby grabbed a blanket off the end and wrapped it around you gently.

Thankful for the warmth, you bundled the blanket around you. Though it was now definitely the middle of summer, your cold left you with the sort of irritating chills that only being wrapped up tight could remedy.

“What's in the bag?” you asked, twisting around so you could see what Grillby was doing in your kitchenette.

“Soup,” he answered. “The kind you mentioned you liked.”

You blushed, touched that he had remembered; you had mentioned your favorite type of soup about a week ago, while you were out on a restaurant date with Grillby and lamenting the fact that the place didn't serve it. “O-oh wow, thanks. That's really sweet of you.”

“Do you mind if I use one of your bowls?”

“Go for it.”

A moment later, a pleasantly warm bowl of soup appeared in front of you. If you still had the ability to smell, you were sure it would have smelled heavenly. If anything, it certainly _looked_ appetizing. You took a bite, and were happy to see that you were right.

“Whoa, this is amazing, Grillby!” you exclaimed between eager spoonfuls. “Where'd you find this?”

“Well, I, er...” Grillby rubbed the back of his neck. “I made it.”

You weren't entirely surprised. “Really?” you still asked. The bowl was emptying much too fast for your liking.

Grillby chuckled. “I can cook more than burgers and fries, you know. It just helps to stick to a simple menu.”

“Makes sense,” you said as you drained the last of the bowl by tipping the contents into your mouth. You already felt a little better.

“My, my... you certainly were hungry,” Grillby teased, taking the empty bowl and placing it in the sink to be washed later. You idly wondered how he did his dishes at the bar if water didn't agree with him.

You blushed. “Ah, haven't really eaten today. And you're a good cook, so why let it go to waste?” you retorted, smiling up at him from your perch on the sofa.

“You are too kind,” Grillby replied, blue dusting his form as he rejoined you on the sofa.

“No, I'm exactly the right amount of kind,” you teased, leaning up and kissing him softly on the cheek.

Grillby gestured to a stack of DVDs that he had apparently placed there on the coffee table in front of you. All the covers were of movies that weren't familiar to you; the same rectangular robot graced each cover.

You picked one up and examined it. _Oh! One True Love_ was the title, and it starred someone named... Mettaton. Oh, that was right. Mettaton was that robot you had heard some stuff about; he was the underground's biggest celebrity (perhaps their _only_ celebrity). You turned to Grillby and raised an eyebrow; you hadn't expected him to be the rom-com type.

“You did mention wanting to see what monster movies were like,” he said in his own defense.

You chuckled. “That I did. Alrighty then, pop it in.”

Grillby did as he was told, and you two settled into a comfortable position as you watched Mettaton pursue his true love on your TV screen. By the end of the movie, you were completely into it, and had even cried at a scene or two. Grillby seemed to be getting more amusement out of your reactions than the movie proper; you supposed he must have seen it before, since he was the one who had brought it over.

“Well, I guess you enjoyed the movie?” Grillby asked, smiling down at you.

“I'm s-so glad they got over their misunderstanding,” you said, sniffling. “They were beautiful together!” Maybe your brain was a little muddled by fever. Just a little.

Grillby chuckled and placed a soft kiss to the top of your head. “That was one of my favorites, actually. Would you like to watch another?”

You nodded, and Grillby stood up to take the DVD out of your DVD player. The loss of a comfortable heat source made you pout, but you knew he would be back. He showed you your options, and you decided on one called _Death by Glamour_. You snuggled back into Grillby's warmth as he sat back down after putting the movie in and starting it. Before, you had been keeping a respectful distance from him, but now he seemed pleased you were more comfortable. He wrapped an arm around you and pulled you close to his warm side.

The movie starred Mettaton (seriously, did they have _any_ other major actors?), this time as a dashing investigator dedicated to solving a string of murders happening within the monster fashion industry. It was set up as a sort of suspense thriller, but with Mettaton's antics, you couldn't take it seriously. It was the sort of silly that you liked, though. You enjoyed this movie too, or at least, what you saw of it before your tired body finally gave out and you fell asleep curled against Grillby's side.

It was a few hours before you finally woke up, the catchy repeating music of the DVD menu being the first thing to come to your attention. The second thing was that you were warm, very warm... Somehow, Grillby had fallen asleep as well, and you two were sprawled on the sofa in a tangle of limbs.

Oh wow, you two were... really tangled up. Grillby had both his arms wrapped around you, trapping one of your arms to your side. Your legs were intertwined, and Grillby had lost his glasses somewhere along the way. The blanket you had before was now cold and forgotten on the floor. Your face was buried in Grillby's neck and you wondered how the hell the soft radiant light he gave off didn't wake you up sooner. But it did seem his light dimmed a little while he was asleep; speaking of dimming, from where you could see, it was starting to get dark out. That meant you had been out for quite some time; you must have really needed the rest. You figured the fever might have broken while you slept, because you felt a little better than you had earlier. Your nose was still stuffy, though, and you frowned at that discovery.

You sighed softly and laid your head back down. Despite the small space on the sofa, this was actually decently comfortable. You supposed Grillby acting like a space heater had something to do with that. Being a monster, Grillby had no heartbeat, but you could hear the soft crackling of his flames and the quiet sighs of his breath as he laid there.

It then struck you that this was the closest you had been to Grillby since your night in the bar with him. He was always tender, but he kept that respectful distance that both flattered and irritated you simultaneously. You knew eventually you two would have to have a talk about that, but now wasn't the time for talking; it was time for resting.

He truly was beautiful when he slept. Well, he was beautiful all the time, but truly so in slumber. Some reds had worked their way into his normally orange and yellow form, and they swirled around too as the magic coursed through Grillby's veins. Some flames licked harmlessly at your skin, and you liked how softly they caressed you, as if even in his sleep Grillby knew you were there.

In his arms, you felt content, like nothing in the world could get to you. You felt like you could stay there all night, just like this. In fact, you probably would have... if you didn't have to use the restroom.

“Grillby,” you said softly, reaching up with your untrapped arm to caress his face lightly. “Grillby, wake up...”

Grillby mumbled something incoherent in response and pulled you closer to him. You blushed, not minding the closer contact at all but also wanting to get up. Your legs were starting to hurt from lack of use.

“Hey, c'mon,” you muttered, moving your hand down to his shoulder and shaking very lightly. “I gotta get up.”

“Hmm?” was the response you finally got as Grillby cracked his blazing white eyes opened. His flames brightened back to their normal level as he blinked a few times in confusion. “Oh... Hello.” His voice was still laced with sleep, giving it a sort of rasp that you _really_ liked, if you were being honest.

You chuckled. “Hey there,” you greeted back. “Guess we both fell asleep, huh?”

Grillby looked around for his glasses before finding them discarded on the floor beside you two. “I... I suppose we did, yes,” he said, putting his glasses back on. He then realized just how tangled you two were. “Oh, goodness. My apologies.” He began to extricate his limbs from yours, face flushing bright blue as he did.

You chuckled. “No need to apologize,” you replied, pecking him on the cheek. He reached up and trailed a hand through your hair in response, bringing you close for a soft forehead kiss. You smiled back at him and stood up to take care of what you needed to do, giving your legs a much-needed stretch.

When you returned from the restroom, you found that Grillby had turned the TV off. The absence of the DVD menu music made your living room seem eerily quiet. You sat back down on the couch and placed yourself within Grillby's arms once more.

“How are you feeling?” Grillby asked.

“Okay,” you responded, but before you could say more, you coughed. “Okay... maybe not so okay. My throat hurts.”

Grillby got up from the sofa at once. You frowned at the loss of heat. “Do you have any tea?” he called from the kitchenette.

“On top of the fridge.”

You heard him fumble around for a few moments before he returned with a steaming hot mug of tea.

“Whoa, how did you- wait. Duh,” you said, realizing he must have poured a single cup and heated it up himself with magic. He chuckled at your realization. You hoped he wasn't putting himself in danger, being around all that water.

The steam from the mug warmed you up a little, but not nearly as much as Grillby did when he returned to his sitting position next to you and wrapped an arm around you. You leaned into his touch, taking care not to spill the tea. The mug was pleasantly warm to the touch, but not burning; Grillby was super precise with these things, you noticed. You took a sip, letting the pleasant warmth of your favorite tea wash all around you. Your throat definitely felt a little better now.

You and Grillby just talked for a while as you drained your mug. His arms provided a barrier of comforting heat that you let yourself get lost in. Before you knew it, you were falling asleep again. Grillby was talking about something, but all you could comprehend was the soft rumble of his words as they vibrated in his chest. Even though you were still sick, you lost yourself in the pleasant haze. After a while, you felt yourself being lifted up and carried into another room. You felt the gentle brush of covers and the soft sensation of warm lips against your forehead, and then no more.

~

The next morning, you awoke to an empty apartment. Grillby had apparently gone home as you slept, but not without leaving a note on your bedside table. His handwriting was every bit as elegant as the rest of him was, and you couldn't help but smile at the fancy lettering.

' _I hope you slept for a while... You seemed like you needed the rest. Perhaps I need some rest myself, as I had not expected to fall asleep during the second movie like that... My apologies. I decided to head home after making sure you were comfortably asleep... You did not give me prior permission to stay, and I worried it would be terribly rude if I had._

_You know I normally don't touch the stuff, but there is a glass of water next to some human painkillers on your nightstand. Please, stay hydrated. And don't push yourself too hard; if you feel as if you cannot visit me tonight at my bar, I will not take offense. Your health comes first and foremost._

_Do let me know when you wake up... I want to make sure you're feeling better. If things escalate, please do not hesitate to visit a human doctor. I admit I am not... well-versed in how human ailments work, but you didn't seem too worried, so I can only assume that this is a minor illness. Still, take care in recovering, and I shall see you very soon._

_-Grillby'_

You took the painkillers and downed them in a single gulp of water. Your throat twinged a bit, but otherwise you were feeling a lot better. Another day or two, and you would be at one hundred percent once again. You had to work today, but you figured you were feeling well enough to go out and get things done. Getting up out of bed, you shot off a text to Grillby to let him know you were awake, and to thank him for the water and painkillers. In addition, you added a little note about how you totally wouldn't mind if he stayed over sometime.

You got ready and prepared to face the day ahead.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for how long this took. I had my 21st birthday last week and my family decided the best way to celebrate was to take me to Vegas... At least I came out of there ten dollars up from when I arrived.
> 
> Next chapter: Sin. And lots of feelings.


	7. A Flare (NSFW)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey, more sin! Also our darling fire boyfriend being clueless as to how human relationships are supposed to work. As always, please be nice as I am still learning how to properly write smut and not have it be completely terrible.

The days passed on. You recovered from your cold pretty quickly, thanks to Grillby's doting attention. Though outwardly you grumbled, you both knew you deeply appreciated the tenderness he treated you with as you recovered. You knew you would gladly do the same for him were the roles reversed; could monsters even get sick?

There was still one thing that bothered you, though. Despite all the time that had passed, Grillby was still being frustratingly slow about things. You respected that, of course, but you also wondered why that was. Was he just not into you that way? You thought he _was_ , considering how things had started out, but now you had your doubts. If he wasn't, that was okay, but you just wished he would tell you instead of doing... this.

You wondered if things would change soon, if he would respond positively to you trying to move things forward. If he didn't, you'd respect that; you would never force him to do something he didn't want to. But you had to try...

And try you did. A few weeks after your sick day with Grillby, you found yourself over at his apartment, watching more Mettaton movies. About halfway through the third movie – some comedy – you decided you weren't interested in watching the screen anymore. No, you were more interested in the man beside you.

You started out by kissing his cheek lightly and then getting bolder. He accepted your kisses happily, though he seemed a little confused as to what had brought this affection on all of a sudden. Still, he didn't seem to mind when you swung your leg over his hips and straddled him on his couch.

He didn't seem to know what to do with his hands as you began to trail kisses down his neck. Eventually, he settled for placing them on the small of your back. You ground your hips against his lightly as you turned your attention to the top button on his shirt.

This seemed to snap him back to reality. He looked up at you, slightly dazed.

You stopped for a moment. “Everything alright?” you asked, frowning.

Grillby nodded. “Yes... I just thought... don't you want to watch the movie?”

“I've got something more interesting in mind,” you purred.

He didn't say anything in response, and you could tell he was searching for something to say. Probably trying to let you down easily, you thought. You sighed and slumped a little, though you remained where you were.

“Grillby...” you said. “If... if you're not actually into me, that's okay. I just wish you'd said something.”

“What?” That seemed to be a response Grillby hadn't expected.

He didn't say anything else, so you took this as a cue to continue. “You know I really like you, but... you don't have to pretend if you don't want to. Y-You probably realized somewhere down the road that that night in your bar was a mistake, but you d-didn't want to hurt my feelings and... I-I get it.” You weren't crying, not yet, but you did begin to shake.

“No!” Grillby exclaimed, running his hands over your shoulders in a comforting gesture. “That's not it at all. I find you quite enticing, it's just...” He ran a hand through his flames nervously. “I... I don't actually know how a relationship with a human is supposed to work.”

Oh. In hindsight that... actually made a lot of sense. “Oh...” you said.

“Sans' brother Papyrus was kind enough to lend me a book on how human relationships are supposed to go. Apparently he's been reading quite a few since he's come to the surface. A-anyway, one of the things the book stressed was that physical intimacy is not something to be forced, that both partners must be ready and willing for such acts to take place,” Grillby explained, blue edging its way into his face as he did.

You just stared at him, and he seemed to take this as a cue to continue.

“I-In addition, I read that some humans in relationships with other humans sometimes felt pressured to engage in acts of intimacy even when they are not completely willing, sometimes to the point of doing things out of a perceived sense of obligation. You seemed very... nervous at times that night, and I didn't know if that was because of some perceived obligation or not. Therefore, I felt it inappropriate to push anything of a carnal nature, despite my own personal desires. I never wanted you to feel obligated to reciprocate.”

He was rambling now, blue threatening to overtake orange in his face. You snorted; this was all so very endearing to you. “Are you serious?” you asked.

“Er, yes. I have the book on my shelf if you want to-”

You bent down and pecked Grillby lightly on the lips, silencing his nervous rambling. “I... oh my goodness,” you said, chuckling. “I'm really glad you've wanted to do this the right way, but I promise you that right here, right now?” You put your lips up to where his ear would be. “I'm willing.”

There were a few heartbeats worth of silence, and for a moment you worried if you had gone too far. Then, you felt Grillby shift so that he was up against your ear instead. “... Very well then,” he purred.

Oh, that was just mean. You gasped and ground your hips against his. Beneath you, you felt that he was... enjoying this, that was for sure.

The movie long forgotten, you shifted so that you were above Grillby, your hands pinning him down to the couch by his shoulders. You bent down and began peppering his neck with gentle kisses, something that you knew he liked. He shivered in delight, and you took that as a cue to begin undoing the buttons of his shirt.

His chest was all swirling planes of fire and magic, and he was every bit as beautiful to you as he was the day you had met him. You planted soft kisses down his torso as he hurriedly pulled his shirt off. This time, it was him that was less clothed than you. He seemed a little nervous, as if he was worried that his monstrous nature would put you off, even though you'd been dating him for a few months now.

“Gods above, you're lovely,” you murmured, running your hands up and down his sides, taking in every bit of the warmth he was giving off. He moaned softly and arched up, seeming to want more of your hands on him.

You laid down, pulling yourself flush with him as your mouths met once more. The heat coming off of him intensified, just a little, but it was something you could handle. He _did_ say he got warmer when flustered, and you intended on flustering him quite a bit...

He surprised you by taking hold of you by your sides and flipping your positions so that he was on top. You'd forgotten how strong he was...

He sat up so that he was straddling you and reached a hand down to the bottom of your shirt. Before he did anything, he paused, silently asking your consent.

Breathless, you nodded, and he quickly took off the top half of your clothing. His warm hands ghosted down your sides, and you gasped his name as he brushed a particularly sensitive spot near your navel.

“I think we should move this to another room,” Grillby said, voice laced with barely-concealed lust.

You ground up against him at this. Oh, you loved how his voice sounded when he got worked up like this. You always loved it, but when he got like this, nothing could compare.

Grillby grabbed for the remote and shut the TV off (how on earth had you managed to keep the mood going with Mettaton in the background?) as you both stood and made your way to his bedroom. When you got to his bed, you pushed lightly on his shoulders and watched, both amused and aroused, as he fell gently to the sheets below.

You shed the bottom half of your clothing as you straddled his legs. Right now, you were feeling much more confident than you had back in the bar that one night. This time, you wouldn't be a nervous wreck. Reaching down, you undid Grillby's belt, hands _not_ shaking this time. He quickly did the rest of the work and now you were equally unclothed. Gone was the nervousness you had felt all those months ago, that fear that he wouldn't like what he saw; you knew now that no matter what you looked like, Grillby would treat you with the utmost reverence.

He was beautiful like this, blue and white under your touch. You bent down, taking him into your mouth much like you had the first time, your hand reaching between your own legs and stroking your most sensitive areas. Grillby moaned and gripped at his sheets with one hand, the other tangling in your hair. At this angle, it was much easier to take him deeper, easier than it had been crouching in front of him the first time.

You took your other hand and wrapped it around him, getting to the parts you couldn't quite reach with your mouth. Grillby gasped, craning his neck to look at you.

“D-don't spend all your energy on me,” he said, panting slightly.

You took him out of your mouth for a moment. “Don't worry,” you replied, before taking him back into your mouth and humming. He exhaled sharply and the fingers in your hair tightened for just a moment. Your hand worked faster at yourself, making sure you were adequately prepared for him. You brushed up against a particularly sensitive spot and you moaned, which in turn made Grillby moan, as your mouth was still firmly wrapped around him.

After you felt you both were sufficiently warmed up, you took him out of your mouth with a soft 'pop'. At the back of your mind, you idly wondered how it was you didn't hurt him by doing stuff like that, considering he was fire, but your brain was too lust-addled to seriously ponder it. Instead, you positioned yourself so that you were just above him.

“You ready?” you asked.

“ _Yes_ ,” he moaned. You saw his hips twitch, and you knew he was doing all he could to not just thrust up into you. Licking your lips in anticipation, you slowly worked yourself down onto him, your every intention right now being to tease him. He stretched you quite a bit, and you were thankful you had taken the time to prepare yourself. When you had finally taken him down to the hilt, you paused to glance down at him. He was panting, his jagged mouth fully visible, and his flames were already trailing pretty high and warm. Goodness, you weren't sure how long he'd last at this rate; not that you minded if he finished early, considering that's what you had done last time.

Once you had adjusted to having him inside of you, you rolled your hips. Grillby gasped, and... was he biting his lip? Whoa, that was attractive. You wondered what it would feel like if he were biting you instead. Leaning over him, you began at a teasingly slow pace. Moans fell from your lips each time you met his thrusts, and you shivered as his warm hands roamed over you.

You sped up the pace a little, and Grillby reacted quite positively to this. He managed to get himself into a sitting position and he wrapped his arms around you, holding you close. You could hear the loud crackle of his flames and the rush of magic through his body; it was something that was so uniquely _him_ and truly mesmerizing.

“G-Grillby,” you gasped. “Grillby, p-please...”

One of his hands found its way to your face and he cupped it gently. “Y-yes, dearest?”

The look he gave you was so tender, so loving, that you momentarily lost yourself in the haze of pleasure and emotion. When you finally regained your senses, you leaned forward and pressed your forehead against his. “I-I want you to-” you finally choked out, slightly embarrassed at your own request.

“What?”

Your face flushed even worse than it had been already. “Pl-please... bite me.”

The blues at the tips of Grillby's flames made their way to white as he took in what you said, and you felt his body heat up a few degrees under you. Slowly, he nodded. Picking up your previous pace, you gasped as Grillby lowered his head to your shoulder and bit down tentatively, nervously. You could feel each hot jagged point as it sunk into your skin, but it didn't hurt, not quite. Grillby was clearly trying not to hurt you, and somehow that made it feel even better.

Grillby moved from your shoulder to your neck, bites turning into teasing nips as he felt your pulse race underneath your skin. When he hit a particularly sensitive area, you gasped out his name. This seemed to affect him, as he growled deeply and shifted your positions so that he was on top. He grabbed your wrists and pinned them above your head with one hand while the other slipped down to the junction between you two, stroking at you in rhythm with his thrusts.

You could feel your climax building up, and with the erratic way Grillby's flames were flickering, he couldn't have been too far behind.

“Ah! I – I -” you sputtered out, and it seemed like Grillby got an idea of what you meant.

Keeping a decent rhythm, he leaned down so that he was right by your ear. “Shh...” he purred, intensifying his pace. “It's alright... Relax...” He grazed your earlobe with his teeth and that was that.

You reached your climax, arms winding around his back and pulling him close as you did. A few more thrusts and he was there too, grunting softly as he spilled into you.

There were a few moments where you two stayed where you were, soaking up each others' presence. Grillby was the first to give in, rolling to the side and pulling out of you with a sigh. You pulled him close to you and nuzzled your face into the crook of his neck.

“Where did _that_ come from?” you asked once you had caught your breath. Really, the sudden spark of near-roughness surprised you, but in a pleasant way.

Grillby flushed blue. “Well, I, er... you _did_ say that you wouldn't mind if I was a little... rougher. So I decided to oblige.”

You reached your head up and gave him a soft peck on the cheek. “You did great,” you said.

“I'm glad to see you still enjoyed yourself,” Grillby replied.

Even though it was only the early evening, you felt a wave of tiredness wash over you. You yawned and stretched, wincing as you moved your neck in a way that didn't agree with you. You would probably have a few... love bites later on, but that was what the scarf you still hadn't returned to him was for, right?

“Sleepy...” you murmured, nuzzling up close to Grillby's warmth.

Grillby chuckled. “We should rest, then. But let's clean up first.” He kissed you softly on the forehead and got up from the bed. You mumbled a complaint at him. “I'll be back in a moment. Don't you worry.”

He returned with a few small towels and made sure there was no mess left. As soon as he was done, you reached up and grabbed his arm, pulling you back down into bed with you. He chuckled at your forwardness and pulled you close to him, pressing a kiss to the top of your head.

And there, secure in his arms and safe in his bed, you were able to let sleep overcome you.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you look closely you can see my own self-indulgence and insecurities lmao
> 
> Anyway, after this we start heading into more NFSW territory pretty consistently. So be prepared.
> 
> Next chapter: Soul sex. And dancing.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a major sucker for gentleman!Grillby, because holy shit that's (for lack of a better word) hot.


End file.
